"You must have remarked that Miss Rawson possesses beauty of form,
sweet and tender flesh, 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 important 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
anyone else, the right to crush out the result of His endowment in
a woman; crush her joy of them, force her into a life where their
possession is looked upon as a temptation? Seek to marry her--
remember that marriage physically means being certainly actuated
to do so by their attraction--and yet believing that you sin each
time you allow them to influence you." Count Roumovski's level
voice took on a note of deep emotion and his blue eyes gleamed.
"Why, the degradation is horrible 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 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 unseemly to even mention the aspects you