see that child, you will know that you have brought a living soul
into the world cruelly handicapped by your deliberate will."

"That's not a fair argument," he answered. "If our rotten laws handicap
the baby, it will be my object to nullify the handicap to the best of my
ability. The laws won't come between me and my child, any more than they
came between me and my passion. I'm not the sort to hide behind the mean
English law of the natural child. But I'm not going to let that law
bully me into marriage with Sabina. I've got to think of myself as well
as other people. I won't say, what's true--that if Sabina married me she
wouldn't be happy in the long run; but I will say that I know I
shouldn't be, and I'm not prepared to pay any penalty whatever for what
I did, beyond the penalty of my own regrets."

"If you rule religion out and think you can escape and keep your honour,
I don't know what to say," she answered. "For my part I believe Sabina
would make you a very good and loving wife. And don't fancy, if you
refuse her what faithfully you promised her, she will be content with
less."

"That's her look out. You won't be wise, Aunt Jenny, to influence her
against a fair and generous offer. I want her to live a good life, and I
don't want our past love-making to ruin that life, or our child to ruin
that life. If she's going to pose as a martyr, I can't help it. That's
the side of her that wrecked the show, as a matter of fact, and made it
very clear to me that we shouldn't be a happy married couple."

"Self-preservation is a law of nature. She only did what any girl would
have done in trying to find friends to save her from threatened
disaster."

"Well, I dare say it was natural to her to take that line, and it was
equally natural to me to resent it. At any rate we know where we stand
now. Tell me if there's anything else."

"I only warn you that she will accept no benefits of any kind from you,
Raymond. And who shall blame her?"

"That's entirely her affair, of course. I can't do more than admit my
responsibilities and declare my interest in her future."

"She will throw your interest back in your face and teach her child to
despise you, as she does."

"How d'you know that, Aunt Jenny?"

"Because she's a proud woman. And because she would lose the friendship
of all proud women and clean thinking men if she condoned what you
intend to do. It's horrible to see you turned from a simple, stupid, but
honourable