Charter winced; he felt keenly that Rachel had not. "No!" he said
sharply.
"Well, she won't. I know her well enough for that. You think you
know all about her because you're in love with her, but you don't if
you imagine she's like that; she--" he stopped and drew a deep breath
that was nearer pain than a sigh--"she's too fine for that! I know her
better than you do and if I choose to hold her to it I can; she won't
listen to you if she feels it to be wrong, and she will."
"And you mean to take advantage of her very goodness to keep her to
such a bargain?"
His scorn cut like a knife but Belhaven met it without self-betrayal.
"Why should I give her up to you?" he asked, after a moment.
Charter looked at him attentively. He remembered that Rachel had
admitted that Belhaven loved her and he began to suspect now that he
would never give her up, that he meant to use his claim upon her to
keep her against her will. Such an attitude was almost inconceivable to
John.
"You intend to make her stay because you've fallen in love with her?"
"That's no affair of yours."
John glanced across at the old man opposite, who was hunting now for
another newspaper on the table. In the distance he saw Count Massena
coming through the corridor.
"I'm sorry that this is a place where I can't tell you just what I
think of you," he said.
Belhaven did not move. "I can't see that you're in a better situation
than I am," he retorted coolly. "You've no right to make love to my
wife."
"You've no right to make your wife endure this misery and I tell you
now I won't allow it."
Rachel's husband watched him thoughtfully, a drawn look changing his
face yet more deeply.
"See here, Charter," he said suddenly, "I'm willing to say this: I've
lived in the same house with Rachel long enough to be a changed man.
She's humanized me. I'm not quite what you think me, and I'll let her
decide in the end, but, by Jove, I won't give her up just for you; I'd
die first!"
John looked at him squarely. "If you're a man," he said again, "you'll
set her free; then she could choose. Now--if you hold her--"
"Well, and if I do?"
"Then," said John, "you're a damned scoundrel!" and he turned his back
on him and walked out of the room.