“But I don’t think I’ve done a wicked thing, Mrs. Trivett. I only ask you not to judge. It’s no good talking or explaining all the thousand and one points that decided me. I only ask you to give me credit on the strength of my past, and to understand I’m no headstrong, silly creature who dashes at a thing on impulse, regardless of the consequences to the community at large. Nobody can say of me I haven’t got a proper respect for the community.”
“It’s her husband you ought to have respected I should think.”
“You mustn’t ask that. When I remember the way he treated Medora, I can’t respect Mr. Dingle. Otherwise these things wouldn’t have happened. I admit I love Medora and always did do; but I can honestly say that if Medora had been nothing to me, I should none the less have tried to save her from such a fate, for common good feeling to humanity at large. Being as she was and finding, as she did, that she could love me, of course that simplified it and made it possible for me to put her in the strong and unassailable position of my future wife.”
“Stuff and nonsense,” answered Lydia. “You think all this, and I suppose you really believe all this; but you’re blinded by being in love with my daughter. However the mischief’s done now. Only I want you both to understand that you’ll get no sympathy from me—or anybody else.”
“We don’t want no sympathy,” declared Medora. “We’ve got each other and we don’t expect a little country place like this to understand.”
Jordan dwelt upon a word that Mrs. Trivett had spoken.
“You say ‘the mischief is done,’ but I can’t allow that. No mischief is done at all—far from it. The mischief would have been if Medora and her husband had been bound to stop together—chained together against all their proper feelings and against all decency. But for them to separate like responsible beings was no mischief.”
“And it’s up to him to get on with it,” added Medora. “We’ve done our share and took the law in our hands, because we were fearless and knew we were right; and more we can’t do until he acts.”
“Has he moved in the matter, Mrs. Trivett?” enquired Kellock. “I can supply his lawyer with the necessary data.”
Lydia flushed.