“Ah, but if I beg it! You may not offer—but will you refuse to give?”
“What is the good?” she broke forth in a louder tone, speaking as if in annoyed reproof to herself. “No person can think or feel or decide for another! It is nonsense to pretend otherwise. A man must think his own thoughts, follow his own nature! We can ask nothing finer of a man than to honestly be himself. I get so angry at all these ceaseless attempts to run people all into one mold, to make everybody like everybody else—and then, here I was, solemnly starting out to do the very trick myself!” She laughed in ironical self-depreciation at the thought.
Christian drew closer to her side. “I have very many things to say to you,” he began gravely. “But I am in one way sorry that we went into the churchyard, because it has made us melancholy, and I was going to tell it all to you in the highest good spirits. We were both laughing like merry children when we left your place—and now we are sad. I like Emanuel’s idea—he will have no tombs to be seen upon his estate. Death will come there as elsewhere, without doubt, but he will not be allowed to remain hanging about, thrusting his ugly presence upon happy people each time they walk in the street. At Emanuel’s there is cremation—and that is the end of it. That is the portion of his System which pleases me most. It is the best thing in it.”
She looked into his face. “Then you are not wildly in love with his whole System?” she asked.
“Me? I grieve to say not. It is no doubt very admirable indeed—but—how shall I say?—it does not appeal to me. You are displeased with me for confessing it—but—”
“Displeased?” she interrupted him, with a meaning laugh. “Nothing could displease me less!”
“Oh, you do not love the System?” he cried, with dancing eyes.
“I hate it!” she answered, briefly.
“Capital!” He halted, to shake her by the hand with gay effusion. “Let us abuse it together! You shall say it all, however, because I only dislike it, and cannot give any reasons why—but you will know them every one. Oh, this is splendid! I had the right instinct when I came to you! I have a great deal to tell you—but first you must tell me: what do you say about my cousin’s System? I am burning to hear that.”
It was impossible to evade the contagion of his sparkling face. She laughed in turn.