Ainslee's Magazine, February 1913 — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE POINT OF OIEW methods for the saving of her soul. And I and her natural guardians, her uncle and aunt, will take care that you never see her again.” Count Roumovski raised his eye- brows once more, and prepared to light a cigar. “It is a pity you will not discuss this peacefully, sir,” he said, “or apparently even think about it yourself with com- mon sense. If you would do so, you would begin by asking yourself what God gave certain human beings cer- tain attributes for’—he blew a few whiffs of smoke—‘whether to be wast- ed and crushed out by the intolerance of others, or whether to be tended and grow to the highest, as flowers grow with light and air and water.” “What has that got to do with the case?” Mr. Medlicott interrupted, tap- ping his foot uneasily. “Everything,” went on the Russian mildly. “You, I believe, are a priest, and therefore should be better able to expound your Deity’s meaning than I, a layman; but you have evidently not the same point of view. Mine is al- ways to look at the facts of a case de- nuded of prejudice—because the truth is the thing to aim at a4 “You would suggest that I am not aiming at the truth!” the clergyman in- terrupted, trembling now with anger, so that he fiercely grasped the back of a high chair. “Your words are pre- posterous, sir.” “Not at all,” Count Roumovski con- tinued. “Look frankly at things. You have just announced that you would constitute yourself the judge of what is for Miss Rawson’s salvation.” “Leave her name out, I insist!” the other put in hotly. “To be concrete, unfortunately, I cannot do so,” the Russian said. “I must speak of this lady we are both interested in; pray try to listen to me calmly, sir, for we are here for the settling of a matter which concerns the happiness of our three lives.” “TY do not admit for a moment that you have the right to speak at all,” Mr. Medlicott returned. But his ad- versary went on quietly: 25 “You must have remarked that Miss Rawson possesses beauty of form, soft coloring, and a look of health and warmth and life. All these charms tend to create in man a passionate physical love; that is cause and effect. For the sake of the present argument, we will for the moment leave out all more im- portant questions of the soul and things mental and spiritual. Well—who gave her these attributes? Did you or I— or even her parents consciously? Or did the Supreme Being, whom you call God, endow her so? Admitted that He did, have you, then, or any one else, the right to crush out the result of His endowment in a woman, crush out her joy of them, force her into a life where their possession is looked upon as a temptation? Seek to marry her—re- member what marriage physically means—being certainly actuated to do so by their attraction—and yet believ- ing that you sin each time you allow them to influence you?” Count Rou- movski’s level voice took on a note of deep emotion, and his blue eyes gleamed. ‘‘Why, the degradation is hor- rible to think of, sir, if you will face the truth. And this is the fate to which you would condemn this. young and tender girl for your own selfishness, knowing she does not love you.” Eustace Medlicott walked up and down rapidly for a moment; he then picked up a book, and threw it aside again in his agitation. He was very pale now. “I refuse to have the woman I have decided to marry snatched from me by any of your sophistries,” he said breathlessly. “I am better able than you to save her soul, and she owes me honor and obedience. It is most un- seemly to even mention the aspects you have done in a bond which is a sacra- ment of holy church, and should be only approached in a spiritual frame of mind, not a carnal one.” “You are talking pure nonsense, sir,” returned Count Roumovski sternly. “If that were the case, the wording of your English marriage service would be dif- ferent. First and foremost, marriage is a contract between two people to Comic Ook (EO)