I should not believe it. You're chivalrous and generous,
and that's the precious point about you. Granted that she made a
mistake, is her mistake to wreck her whole life? Just think how she
felt--what a shock you gave her. You part with her on Saturday the real
Raymond, fully conscious that you must marry her at once--for her own
honour and yours. Then on Sunday, you are harsh and cruel--for no
visible reason. You frighten her; you raise up horrible fears and
dangers in her young, nervous spirit. She is in a condition prone to
terrors and doubts, and upon this condition you came in a surly mood and
imply that you yourself are changed. What wonder she lost her head? Yet
I do not think that it was to lose her head to come to me. She had often
heard you speak of me. She knew that I loved you well and faithfully.
She felt that if anybody could put this dreadful fear to rest, I should
be the one. Don't say she wasn't right."

He listened attentively and began to feel something of his aunt's view.

"Forgive her first for coming to me. If mistaken, admit at least it was
largely your own fault that she came. She has nothing but love and
devotion for you. She told nothing but the truth."

He asked a question, which seemed far from the point, but none the less
indicated a coming change of attitude. At any rate Jenny so regarded it.

"What d'you think of her?"

"I think she's a woman of naturally fine character. She has brains and
plenty of sense and if she had not loved you unspeakably and been very
emotional, I do not think this could have happened to her."

She talked on quietly, but with the unconscious force of one who feels
her subject to the heart. The man began to yield--not for love of
Sabina, but for love of himself. For Miss Ironsyde continued to make
him see his own position must be unbearable if he persisted, while first
she implied and finally declared, that only through marriage with Sabina
could his own position be longer retained.

But he put forward his dismissal as an argument against marriage.

"Whatever I feel, it's too late now," he explained. "Daniel heard some
distorted version of the truth in Bridetown, and, of course, believed
it, and came to me white with rage and sacked me. Well, you must see
that alters the case if nothing else does. Granted, for the sake of
argument, that I can overlook the foolish, clumsy way she and her mother
have behaved and go on as we were going, how am I to live and keep