The Point of View Page 5

  CHAPTER V

  No one could have been more surprised than the Reverend EustaceMedlicott at the behavior of his betrothed. Far from showing anycontrition for her unseemly absence upon the arm of a perfect stranger,and a foreigner to boot, Stella had returned to the fold of herrelations' group with a demure and radiant face, and when Eustace hadventured some querulous reproaches, she had cut him short by saying shehad done as she wished and did not intend to listen to any remarksabout it.

  "You will have to learn more humbleness of mind, my dear child," heretorted sternly. "I cannot allow you to reply to your future husbandin this independent tone."

  "I shall just answer as I please," said Stella, and felt almostinclined to laugh, he looked so cross and amazed. Then she turned andtalked to the cousin, Mr. Deanwood, and took no further notice of him.

  Mr. Medlicott burned with annoyance. Stella would really have to becareful or he would not go on with the match--he had no intention oftaking to wife a woman who would defy him--there was Nancy Rugglesready to be his slave--and others besides her. And his career could bejust as well assisted by the Bishop's daughter as by Canon Ebley'sniece, even though her uncle was a crotchety and unknown Lord, patronof two fat livings. But Stella, with a rebellious little curl loosenedon her snowy neck and a rebellious pout upon her cherry lips, was sovery alluring a creature to call one's own, the desire of the flesh,which he called by any other name, fought hard with his insultedspirit, though to give in would be too ignominious; she must say shewas sorry first, and then he could find it in his heart to forgive her.But the opportunity to show this magnanimity was not vouchsafed to himby fate--for other people were introduced to the party by Mr. Deanwood,and he did not exchange a word alone with his erring fiancee until shesaid a cold good-night in the hall of the Grand Hotel.

  "Stella, remain for a moment, I wish to speak to you," he said in thevoice in which he was accustomed to read the burial service.

  But she feigned not to hear and followed her Aunt Caroline's blackvelvet train on to the lift and at that same moment a discreet-lookingforeign servant came up and handed him a note.

  He read it in surprise--who could be sending him a note at a quarterpast twelve at night?

  Dear Sir [it ran],

  I shall be greatly obliged if you can spare to me half an hour beforeretiring to your rest to converse upon a matter of importance. I hadthe honor of making your acquaintance to-night at your Embassy. If youwill grant me this favor I will wait upon you immediately in the hall,or, if you prefer, my sitting-room; my servant could conduct you here,and we shall have the advantage of being entirely undisturbed. Iremain, sir, Yours truly.

  SASHA ROUMOVSKI.

  Eustace Medlicott gasped with astonishment. This Russian gentleman wasevidently in need of his ministrations and perhaps advice. He would goto his room, certainly, there were still some people in the hall havinglate coffee and refreshment after the theater.

  He indicated by a condescending movement that he was ready to followthe waiting servant, and soon found himself being shown into CountRoumovski's sitting-room. It was luxuriously appointed and representedevery appearance of manly comfort. There were quantities of books andpapers about and the smell of excellent cigars, and put carelesslyaside were various objets d'art which antique dealers had evidentlysent for his grand seigneur's approval.

  Count Roumovski was standing by the mantelpiece and looked very talland commanding in his evening dress.

  "It is most good of you to come," he said, while he indicated a bigarm-chair for his visitor to sit in--he did not offer to shake hands."It was certainly my duty to have called upon you, my only apology forgetting you to ascend here is that the subject I wish to converse withyou is too serious for both of us to admit of interruptions."

  "Indeed," said Mr. Medlicott, pompously--growing more surprised eachmoment. "And may I ask the nature of your trouble?"

  Count Roumovski did not change his position by the mantelpiece and hekept still as a bronze statue as he spoke in a courteous tone:

  "It is not a trouble at all," he began, gravely, "on the contrary, itis a great joy and honor for me. I will state the facts immediately. Iunderstand that for a short while you have been engaged to be marriedto Miss Stella Rawson, the niece of the respected English clergyman,the Reverend Ebley--"

  "Pardon me," interrupted Mr. Medlicott acidly, "but I do not see how myprivate affairs can interest you, sir, I cannot--"

  But the host in turn interrupted him.

  "If you will be so good as to listen patiently, you will find that thismatter is of vital importance--may I proceed?"

  Mr. Medlicott bowed; what more could he do? Count Roumovski went on:

  "I understand that Miss Rawson never showed very strong affection foryou or great desire for this union--so what I have to ask now is, ifyou, as a gentleman, will release her from her promise to you and sether free."

  "Upon my word, sir, this is too much," Mr. Medlicott exclaimed,starting to his feet, "by what authority do you say these preposterousthings? You were only introduced to Miss Rawson and myself to-night.You must be mad!"

  "No, I am quite sane. And I say them upon the best authority," CountRoumovski continued, "because I love Miss Rawson myself, and I amdeeply honored by believing that in return she loves me--not you atall. Therefore, it is common sense to ask you to release her, and lether be happy with the person she prefers--is it not so?"

  Eustace Medlicott had grown white with anger and astonishment as helistened, and now broke in hotly, forgetful of his intoning voice oranything but his outraged dignity.

  "When have you had the opportunity to try and undermine the faith of mybetrothed, may I ask? Supposing you are saying this seriously and notas some ill-timed jest."

  Count Roumovski lifted his eyebrows a little and looked almost withpity at his adversary. "We are not talking in the heroic manner," hereplied, unmoved by the other's taunt, "we are, I presume, two fairlyintelligent men discussing this affair together--there has been noquestion of undermining. Miss Rawson and myself found we understoodeach other very soon after we first met. Surely, you must realize, sir,that love cannot be commanded, it will not come or go at one's bidding.These ridiculous bonds of convention, holding to a promise given whenthe spirit to keep it is no longer there, can ruin people's lives."

  Mr. Medlicott drew himself up, he was not quite so tall as the Russian,but of no mean height, and his intense, ascetic face, emaciated toextreme leanness, now reddened with passion, while the veins stood outupon his high, narrow forehead. He was always very irritable whencrossed, and his obstinate nature was strongly combative.

  "You forget, sir," he said angrily, "you are insulting my honor."

  "Not the least in the world--you do not understand the point," CountRoumovski returned calmly. "Listen for a minute--and I will explain. IfMiss Rawson were already your wife I should be, and you would have theright to try and kill me, did your calling permit of that satisfactionof gentlemen, because there is a psychological and physiological reasoninvolved in that case, producing the instinct in man which he is notperhaps conscious of, that he wishes to be sure his wife's legitimateoffspring are his own--out of this instinct, civilization has built upthe idea of a man's honor--which you can see has a basic principle ofsense and justice."

  Mr. Medlicott with difficulty restrained himself from interrupting andthe Russian went on.

  "The situation of betrothed is altogether different: in it there havemerely been promises exchanged, promises, for the most part, which noman or woman can honestly engage with any certainty to keep, becausefeeling toward the other is not within his or her control--both arepromising upon a sentiment, not a reality."

  "I totally disagree with you," Eustace Medlicott answered angrily,"when men and women make promises to one another they should have willsstrong enough to keep them."

  "For what sensible reason?" Count Roumovski asked. "In a case where thehappiness of both is involved, and where no damage has been incurred byeither--"


  Mr. Medlicott clasped his hands convulsively but he did not reply--sothe Russian went on:

  "Surely, you must see that a woman should be free to marry--that is, togive herself and her power to become a mother where she loves--not tobe forced to bestow these sacred gifts when her spirit isunwilling--just because she has made the initial mistake of affiancingherself to a man, often through others' influence, who she discoversafterward is distasteful to her. Cannot you realize that it is wise forhimself as well as for her that this man release her, before a life oflong misery begins for them both?"

  Mr. Medlicott never analyzed reasons, and never listened to otherpeople's logic, and if he had any of his own he was too angry to useit. He was simply conscious now that a foreigner had insulted him andappeared to have stolen the affections of his betrothed, and his sacredcalling precluded all physical retaliation--which, at the moment, wasthe only kind that would have given him any satisfaction. He preparedto stalk furiously from the room after he should receive an answer toan all-important question.

  "The whole thing is disgraceful," he said, "and I shall inform MissRawson's uncle and aunt of your highly insulting words to me, that theymay guard her from further importunity upon your part. But I shouldlike to know, in fairness, how far you are stating you have been ableto persuade my fiancee to agree to your view?"

  "I am sorry you should have become so heated and angry," CountRoumovski returned, "because it stops all sensible discussion. I deeplyregret having been forced to inflict pain upon you, but if you wouldgive yourself time to think calmly you would see that, howeverunfortunate the fact may be for you of Miss Rawson's affections havingbecome fixed on me--these things are no one's fault and beyond humancontrol--Miss Rawson has left the breaking off of her engagement to youin my hands, and has decided that she desires to marry me, as I desireto marry her, as soon as she is free."

  "I refuse to listen to another word," Mr. Medlicott flashed, "and Iwarn you, sir, that I will give no such freedom at your bidding--on thecontrary, I shall have my marriage with Miss Rawson solemnizedimmediately, and try, if there is a word of truth in your preposterousassertion that she loves you, to bring her back to a proper sense ofher duty to me and to God, repressing her earthly longings bydiscipline and self-denial, the only true methods for the saving of hersoul. And I and her natural guardians, her uncle and her aunt, willtake care that you never see her again."

  Count Roumovski raised his eyebrows once more and prepared to light acigar.

  "It is a pity you will not discuss this peacefully, sir," he said, "orapparently even think about it yourself with common sense. If you woulddo so, you would begin by asking yourself what God gave certain humanbeings certain attributes for," he blew a few whiffs of smoke, "whetherto be wasted and crushed out by the intolerance of others,--or whetherto be tended and grow to the highest, as flowers grow with light andair and water."

  "What has that got to do with the case?" asked Mr. Medlicott, tappinghis foot uneasily.

  "Everything," went on the Russian, mildly, "you, I believe, are apriest, and therefore should be better able to expound your Deity'smeaning than I, a layman--but you have evidently not the same point ofview--mine is always to look at the facts of a case denuded ofprejudice--because the truth is the thing to aim at--"

  "You would suggest that I am not aiming at the truth," the clergymaninterrupted, trembling now with anger, so that he fiercely grasped theback of a high chair, "your words are preposterous, sir."

  "Not at all," Count Roumovski continued. "Look frankly at things; youhave just announced that you would constitute yourself judge of what isfor 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. "Imust speak of this lady we are both interested in--pray, try to listento me calmly, sir, for we are here for the settling of a matter whichconcerns the happiness of our three lives."

  "I do not admit for a moment that you have the right to speak at all,"Mr. Medlicott returned, but his adversary went on quietly.

  "You must have remarked that Miss Rawson possesses beauty of form,sweet and tender flesh, soft coloring, and a look of health and warmthand life. All these charms tend to create in man a passionate physicallove. That is cause and effect. For the sake of the present argument wewill, for the moment, leave out all more important questions of thesoul and things mental and spiritual. Well, who gave her theseattributes? Did you or I--or even her parents, consciously? Or did theSupreme Being, whom you call God, endow her so? Admitted that Hedid--have you, then, or anyone else, the right to crush out the resultof His endowment in a woman; crush her joy of them, force her into alife where their possession is looked upon as a temptation? Seek tomarry her--remember that marriage physically means being certainlyactuated to do so by their attraction--and yet believing that you sineach time you allow them to influence you." Count Roumovski's levelvoice 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 thetruth--and this is the fate to which you would condemn this young andtender girl for your own selfishness, knowing she does not love you."

  Eustace Medlicott walked up and down rapidly for a moment; he thenpicked up a book and threw it aside again in agitation. He was verypale now.

  "I refuse to have the woman I have decided to marry snatched from me byany of your sophistries," he said breathlessly. "I am better able thanyou to save her soul, and she owes me honor and obedience--it is mostunseemly to even mention the aspects you have done in a bond which is asacrament of holy church and should be only approached in a spiritualframe 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 servicewould be different. First and foremost, marriage is a contract betweentwo people to live together in union of body and to procreate children,which is the law of God and nature. Men added arrangement and endowmentof property, and the church added spiritual sacrament. But God andnature invented the vital thing. If it were not so, it would have beenpossible for the spiritually minded, of which company you inferyourself to be, to live with a woman on terms of brother and sister,and never let the senses speak at all. There would then have been nonecessity for the ceremony of marriage for priests with your views."

  Eustace Medlicott shook with passion and emotion as he answeredfuriously: "You would turn the question into one of whether a priestshould marry or not. It is a question which has agitated me all mylife, and which I have only lately been able to come to a conclusionupon. I refuse to let you disturb me in it."

  "I had not thought of doing so," Count Roumovski returned tranquilly."You and your views and your destiny do not interest me, I must own,except in so far as they interfere with myself and the woman I love.You have proved yourself to be just a warped atom of the greatcreation, incapable of anything but ignoble narrowness. You cannot evenexamine your own emotions honestly and probe their meaning or you wouldrealize no man should marry, be he priest or layman, if he looks uponthe joys of physical love as base and his succumbing to them a proof ofthe power of the beast in himself. Because he then lives undercontinual degradation of soul by acting against his conscience."

  Mr. Medlicott was now silent, almost choking with perturbation. SoCount Roumovski went on:

  "The wise man faces the facts of nature. Looks straight to find God'smeaning in them, and then tries to exalt and ennoble them to theirloftiest good. He does not, in his puny impotence, quarrel with theall-powerful Creator and try to stamp out that with which He thoughtfit to endow human beings."

  "Your words convey a flagrant denial of original sin, and I cannotlisten to such an argument," Mr. Medlicott flashed, his anger now atwhite heat. "You would do away with a whole principle of the Christianreligion."

  "No; I would only do away with a faulty interpretation which mangrafted upon it," Count Roumovski answered.

&nb
sp; Then the two men glared straight into each other's eyes for a moment,and Eustace Medlicott quailed beneath the magnetic force of theRussian's blue ones--he turned away abruptly. He was too intolerant ofcharacter and too disturbed now to permit himself to hear more of thesereasonings. He could but resort to protest and let his wrath rise toassist him.

  "It cannot benefit either Miss Rawson or ourselves to continue thisunseemly controversy over her," he said in a raucous voice. "I havetold you I will give no freedom upon your request--and I have warnedyou of my action. Now I shall go," and he took three steps toward thedoor.

  But Count Roumovski's next words arrested him a moment; his tone was nolonger one of suave, detached calmness, but sharp and decisive, and hisbearing was instinct with strength and determination.

  "Since we are coming to warnings," he said, "we drop the velvet glove.The discourtesy to a lady conveyed in your words obliges me to use myown way without further consulting you for assisting her wishes. I willagain thank you for coming up here and will have the honor to wish yougoodnight." With which he opened the door politely and bowed hisvisitor out.

  And when he was alone Count Roumovski sat down by the open window andpuffed his cigar meditatively for some minutes, smiling quietly tohimself as he mused:

  "Poor, stupid fellow! If people could only be honest enough withthemselves to have a sensible point of view! It is all so simple ifthey would get down to the reason of things without all this falsesentiment. Of what use to chain the body of a woman to one man if herspirit is with another? Of what use to talk of offended honor withhigh-sounding words when, if one were truthful, one would own it wasoffended vanity? Of what use for this narrow, foolish clergyman toprotest and bombast and rave, underneath he is actuated by mostly humanmotives in his desire to marry my Stella? When will the world learn tobe natural and see the truth? Love of the soul is the divine part ofthe business, but it cannot exist without love of the body. As well aska man to live upon bread without water."

  Then he moved to his writing table and composed rapidly a letter to hisbeloved in which he recounted to her the result of the interview andthe threats of her late fiance, and the humor in which he had quittedthe room, and from that she might judge of what she must reasonablyexpect. He advised her, as he was unaware of how far the Englishauthority of a guardian might go, to feign some fatigue and keep herroom next day and on no account whatever to be persuaded to leave Romeor the hotel. He told her that in the morning he would endeavor to seeher uncle and aunt, but if they refused this interview, he would writeand ask formally for her hand, and if his request were treated withscorn, then she must be prepared to slip away with him to the ExcelsiorHotel and be consigned to the care of the Princess Urazov, his sister,who would have arrived from Paris. The business part of the epistleover, he allowed himself half a page of love sentences--which causedMiss Rawson exquisite delight when she read them some moments later.

  She had not gone to bed directly, she was too excited and full of newemotions to be thinking of sleep, and when she heard Ivan's gentle tapat her door she crept to it and whispered without opening it:

  "Who is there?"

  A low voice answered: "Une lettre pour mademoiselle." And the epistlewas slipped into the little box for letters on the door. She went backto her wide window and looked out on the darkness after she had readit. She saw there would be trouble ahead, she knew Eustace Medlicott'sobstinate spirit very well, and also the rigid convention of AuntCaroline--but to what lengths they would go she formulated no guess.

  It all seemed so secure and happy and calm now with such a man to leanupon as Sasha Roumovski. Nothing need ruffle or frighten her ever anymore. And then she read the love sentences again and thrilled andquivered there in the warm, soft night. Sasha Roumovski's influenceover her had grown so strong that not a questioning speculation as tothe step she meant to take any longer entered her head. She felt sheknew at last what love's meaning truly was, and nothing else matteredin the world--which, indeed, was the truth!

  Meanwhile, the Reverend Eustace Medlicott, burning with fury, hadstalked to his room, and there tried to think of what he had better do.He feared it was too late to communicate with Canon and Mrs.Ebley--they would have retired to bed, and Stella, also. Here histhoughts were brought up with violent suddenness. Was she quite safe?Heavens above! and he turned quite cold--foreigners might be capable ofany outrage--but presently he dismissed this fear. People always lockedtheir doors in hotels, and Stella, though she had apparently shownherself sadly unworthy of his regard, was a thoroughly well brought-upyoung woman, and would not be likely to bandy words in the night withany young man. But on the morrow he would insist upon their all leavingthe hotel and Rome itself--no more chances of her communicating withthis hateful Russian count should be risked.

  As the Ebley party had only arrived three days ago in the city, it wasclearly impossible that the affair could have gone far, and as he hadheard of their sightseeing and knew Mrs. Ebley would be extremelyunlikely to allow Stella out of her sight in any case, he could notimagine how his fiancee and the Russian could have found a chance tospeak--and even a foreigner could not persuade a woman into this courseof action in half an hour's talk at the Embassy! The whole thing mustbe the ravings of a madman, nothing more, and Stella herself would bethe first to explain that point on the morrow.

  But even this comforting thought could not quite calm him--thereremained disquieting recollections of certain forcible arguments he hadbeen obliged to listen to against his will which had hit some part ofhis inner consciousness usually impregnably protected by hisself-conceit. And it was an hour or two before he was able to drink hisbarley water and retire to rest, which he felt he badly needed afterhis long journey and uncomfortably exciting evening.