“What you say shows the more danger to her! If you admire her so much you must have behaved to her so much the more like a genuine lover. But any suffering the affair may have caused you, will hardly, I fear, persuade you to the only honourable escape!”
“By Jupiter!” cried Forgue. “Would you have me marry the girl? That’s coming it rather strong with your friendship for the cobbler!”
“No, my lord; if things are as you represent, I have no such desire. What I want is to put a stop to the whole affair. Every man has to be his brother’s keeper; and if our western notions concerning women be true, a man is yet more bound to be his sister’s keeper. He who does not recognize this, be he earl or prince, is viler than the murderous prowler after a battle. For a man to say ‘she can take care of herself,’ is to speak out of essential hell. The beauty of love is, that it does not take care of itself, but of the person loved. To approach a girl in any other fashion is a mean scoundrelly thing. I am glad it has already brought on you some of the chastisement it deserves.”
His lordship started to his feet in a fresh access of rage.
“You dare say that to my face!”
“Assuredly, my lord. The fact stands just so.”
“I gave the fellow as good as he gave me!”
“That is nothing to the point—though from the state I found you in, it is hard to imagine. Pardon me, I do not believe you behaved like what you call a coward.”
Lord Forgue was almost crying with rage.
“I have not done with him yet!” he stammered. “If I only knew who the rascal is! If I don’t pay him out, may—”