And now that things are different, I want--I should like--"
He hesitated a very little. "Now that I have no right to
protect you--except the right my love gives--I want to guard
you as closely from all that is sordid as any husband could
guard his wife.
"In life there are really only two broad issues--right and
wrong. Whatever we may say, whatever we may profess to
believe, we know that our action is always a choice between
right and wrong. A month ago--a week ago--I would have
despised a man who could talk like this--and have thought
myself strong for despising him. Now I know that strength is
something more than the trampling of others into the dust that
we ourselves may have a clear road; that it is something much
harder and much less triumphant than that--that it is standing
aside to let somebody else pass on. Eve," he exclaimed,
suddenly, "I'm trying to do this for you. Don't you see?
Don't you understand? The easy course, the happy course,
would be to let things drift. Every instinct is calling to
me to take that course--to go on as I have gone, trading on
Chilcote's weakness and your generosity.
Pages:
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439