The last words came out involuntarily, and it was only the startled, sudden change in her face that brought home to him what he had said.
“I want war,” she echoed.... “I want men to be killed.... Theodore, what makes you say that?”
He fumbled for words, not sure of his own meaning—sure only that her eyes would change and lose their fervour if, at the last moment and by God-sent miracle, the sword were returned to its sheath.
“Not that, of course—not the actual fighting. I didn’t mean that.... But isn’t there something in you—in you and in everyone—that’s too strong to be arrested? Too swift?... If nothing happened—if we drew back—you couldn’t be still now; you couldn’t endure it....”
She looked at him thoughtfully, puzzled, half-assenting; then protested again: “I don’t want it—but we can’t be still and endure evil.”
“No,” he said, “we can’t—but isn’t there a gladness in the thought that we can’t?”
“Because we’re right,” she flashed. “It’s not selfish—you know it isn’t selfish. We see what is right and, whatever it costs us, we stand for it. The greatest gladness of all is the gladness of giving—everything, even life.... That’s what makes me wish I were a man!”
“The passion for self-sacrifice,” he said, quoting Markham. “I was told the other day it was one of the causes of war.... Don’t look at me so reproachfully—I’m not a pacifist. Give me a kiss and believe me.”
She laughed and gave him the kiss he asked for, and for a minute or two he drew her out of the crowd-life and they were alone together as they had been on the night of their betrothal. Then the spirit of restlessness took hold of her again and she rose suddenly, declaring they must find out what was happening—they must go out and see for themselves.
“It’s only just past ten,” he argued. “What can be happening for another two hours? There’ll only be a crowd—walking up and down and waiting.”