"I am sorry you should have become so heated and angry," Count
Roumovski returned, "because it stops all sensible discussion. I
deeply regret having been forced to inflict pain upon you, but if
you would give yourself time to think calmly you would see that,
however unfortunate the fact may be for you of Miss Rawson's
affections having become fixed on me--these things are no one's
fault and beyond human control--Miss Rawson has left the breaking
off of her engagement to you in my hands, and has decided that she
desires to marry me, as I desire to marry her, as soon as she is
free."

"I refuse to listen to another word," Mr. Medlicott flashed, "and
I warn you, sir, that I will give no such freedom at your bidding--on
the contrary, I shall have my marriage with Miss Rawson
solemnized immediately, and try, if there is a word of truth in
your preposterous assertion that she loves you, to bring her back
to a proper sense of her duty to me and to God, repressing her
earthly longings by discipline and self-denial, the only true
methods for the saving of her soul. And I and her natural
guardians, her uncle and her aunt, will take care that you never
see her again."

Count Roumovski raised his eyebrows 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 common sense. If
you would do so, you would begin by asking yourself what God gave
certain human beings certain attributes for," he blew a few whiffs
of smoke, "whether to be wasted and crushed out by the intolerance