"No, nothing in the world would ever prevent Michael from doing what he wanted to—it is in the blood of all those old border families—heredity again—they flourished by imposing their wills recklessly and snatching and fighting, and who ever survived was a strong man. It has come down to them in force and vigor and daring unto this day."
"But what happened about the marriage?" Sabine asked. "It interests me so much; it sounds so romantic at this matter-of-fact time."
"Nothing happened, except that they went through the ceremony and the girl left at once that same night, I believe, and Michael has never seen or heard of her since—he tells me the time is up now when he can divorce her for desertion, according to Scotch law—and I fancy he will. It is a ridiculous position for them both. He does not even know if she has not preferred some one else by now."
"Surely she would have given some sign if she had—but perhaps he does not care."
"Not much. I fancy he amused himself a good deal at Ostende—" and Henry smiled. "He has been away in the wilds for five years and naturally has come back full of zest for civilization."
Sabine's full lips curled, and she looked at the sea again, and the figure in the boat rapidly pulling away from the shore.
"If he chose to leave her alone all these years, he could not expect anything else, could he, than that she would have grown to care for another man."
"No, that is what I told him—and he said he was a dog in the manger."
"He did not want her himself, and yet did not wish to give her to any one else—how disgustingly selfish!"
"Men are proverbially selfish," and Henry smiled again; "it is the nature of the creatures."