“It ought to be,” asserted Pixie. “It ought to be everything that another love is, and more! A man’s future wife ought to be the person of all others to be reasonable, and unselfish, and logical where he is concerned, even if it means separation for a dozen years.”
No answer. Stephen gazed blankly into space as if unconscious of her words.
“Oughtn’t she?”
“Er—theoretically, Miss O’Shaughnessy, she ought!”
“Very well, then. I am proud that I am, and so ought you to be, too. ... It’s strange how I’m misunderstood! My family say the same thing—Esmeralda, Geoffrey, Stanor himself, and it hurts, for no one before has ever doubted if I could love...” She was silent for a minute, twisting her fingers together in restless fashion, then looking suddenly into his face she asked: “What do you know about it to be so sure? Have you ever been in love?”
Stephen flushed.
“Never. No. I was— My accident cut me off from all such things.”
“What a pity! She would have helped you through.” She smiled into his eyes with a beautiful sweetness. “Well, Mr Glynn, if I am too reasonable to please you, perhaps Stanor will make up for it. You mayn’t find it so easy to influence him.”
“I’m sure of that. I look forward to a stiff time, but if you are on my side we shall bring him round. Now perhaps I had better continue my way to the house and see Mrs Hilliard. This is pre-eminently your business, as you say, but still—”
“She’ll expect it! Yes—” Pixie rose to her feet with an air of depression—“and she’ll crow! They’ll all crow! It’s what they wanted, and when you come and lay down an ultimatum, they’ll rejoice and triumph.” Her small face assumed an aspect of acute dejection. “That’s the worst of being the youngest. ... It’s a trying thing when your family insist on sitting in committees about your own affairs, when you understand them so much better yourself. I’m not even supposed to understand the feelings of my own heart without a sister to translate them for me. Shouldn’t you think, now, a girl of twenty—nearly twenty-one—is old enough to know that?”