"It would be well for some of them if they did! they never get over
it. She mayn't die, true! but she may live to hate the man that led
her to think he loved her, and taught her to believe in nobody. Her
whole life may be darkened because you would amuse yourself."
"She has her share of the amusement, and I have my share, by Jove,
of the danger! She's a very pretty, clever, engaging girl--though
she is but a housemaid!" said Forgue, as if uttering a sentiment of
quite communistic liberality.
"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.
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