They were headed for the Ocean Drive, and Crystal rounded a sharp turn before she answered seriously:
“But I thought you didn’t believe in war.”
“I don’t,” he answered. “I hate it—I hate all violence. We—labor, I mean—didn’t initiate this, but when men won’t see, when they have power and won’t stop abusing it, there is only one way to make—”
“Why, Ben,” said Crystal, “you’re just a pacifist in other people’s quarrels, but as militaristic as can be in your own. I’m not a pacifist, but I’m a better one than you, because I don’t believe in emphasizing any difference between human beings. That’s why I want a League of Nations. I hate gangs—all women really do. Little girls don’t form gangs like little boys. Every settlement worker knows that. I won’t have you say that I belong to the other group. I won’t be classified. I’m a human being—and I intend to behave as such.”
Since she had left him she had been immersed again in her old life—her old friends—and the result had been to make her wonder if her experience with Ben had been as wonderful as it had seemed. When she stopped for him she had been almost prepared to find that the wild joy of their meetings had been something accidental and temporary, and that only a stimulating and pleasant friendship was left. But as soon as she saw that he really regarded their differences seriously, all her own prudence and doubt melted away. She knew she was ready to make any sacrifices for him, and in view of that all talk of obstacles was folly.
She stopped the car on the point of the island, with the open sea on one hand, the harbor on the other. In front of them the lightship was moving with a slow, majestic roll, and to the right was the long festoon of Narragansett lights, and as they stopped the lighted bulk of the New York boat appeared, making its way toward Point Judith.
His prolonged silence began to frighten her.
“Ben,” she said, “do you seriously mean that you believe friendship between us is impossible?”
“Friendship, nothing,” answered Moreton. “I love you.”
He said it as if it had always been understood between them, as of course it had, but the instant he said it, he gave her a quick, appealing look to see how she would take so startling an assertion.