"you are," he said at last, "a lonely, unprotected young girl. where you come from or what you have been doesn't matter to me. i know what you are. and that is why i love you. you have no father or brother to advise you. i must do it and i will, much as it pains me. if you won't take my affection, you must my counsel,"—he called it counsel, but only an expert could have distinguished it from command—"you do not know this man lacy. he is a dissolute, abandoned—"
"stop!" cried the girl. "to me he is always a gentleman—a hero."
"the man is brave enough, i'll admit. and he has done some fine things."
"yes, while other men have escaped dangers by being made prisoners."
by that unkind remark she lost a large part of her advantage.
"as you say," he returned, wincing under her cruel thrust, but persistent, "but we are not discussing me now, but lacy."
"speaking of wickedness, you would better discuss yourself, i think, than him."
"i will not be put off in this way, miss fan—"
"miss glen, please," she interrupted, but he paid no attention.
"lacy is well enough as a soldier. there is much to commend in him. he has the manner of a gentleman when he wishes to exhibit it, but nevertheless he is not a fit person to be entrusted with the future of a lovely, pure, innocent young girl like you."
"shame! shame!" cried the girl.
"you may cry 'shame' upon me," he went on calmly, "and i realize, of course, that i am censurable in speaking thus of my rival."
"you flatter yourself."
"how is that?"
"you are no rival of major lacy's."
"no? well, then, as a friend."
"of his?"
"of yours."
"nor are you a friend of mine."
"well, then, as an enemy, a fool, anything! i want to tell you that nothing but unhappiness awaits you if you encourage him. i know him, i tell you. i know what sort of a man he is. unstable as water, fickle, dissipated—"
"i'll hear no more!" cried the girl, passionately, turning her head and attempting to leave the room.
"excuse me," said the man, coolly, preventing her by occupying the doorway. "you shall hear me! and hear this first of all. i am not saying anything about major lacy which is not a matter of public knowledge and which i have not said to him directly, and which i would not repeat in his presence."
"you tell me that—"
"you do not believe me?"
"no."
"i beg to assure you, miss glen, upon my word of honor—and it has not been questioned heretofore—that i told him these very things not longer than half an hour ago. and i informed him that i intended to tell you."
"what did he say?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her for the moment.
"he laughed. said that the south had a present and pressing need for such as i," he replied with sturdy honesty, "but that he would take great pleasure in killing me when the war was over if we were both spared."
"well, sir, was not that a fine reply?"
"it was. it was a gentleman's answer. i admired him for it and told him so. at the same time i told him that he must cease his attentions to you."
"by what right did you dare—" cried the girl, almost choking with sudden and indignant protest.
"no right. unless my love for you, with a desire to serve you, greater than everything save my devotion to that flag yonder, can excuse me."
"and that cannot. unless love be returned, it entails no rights whatsoever."
"and you do not love me?"
"love you!" cried the girl, scornfully.
"i know you don't, but won't you?" he pleaded.
"i won't!"
"won't you try?"
"no!"
"you do not dislike me?"
"i hate you!"
"do you love lacy?"
"i will not allow you to question me!"
"you must answer me!" said the man, taking her almost savagely by the arm, and in spite of herself she thrilled at his touch.
"you hurt me," said the girl.
"nonsense! you hurt me more than i do you. do you love this man?"
"why not? he has his failings, his weaknesses, but he fights against them, he tries to overcome them. the whole south knows him, loves him for his deeds, pities him for his failings. and i—"
"yes? you what?"
"you shall see. meanwhile before you depreciate a brother soldier, why don't you do something yourself? you are not in the same class."
"i wouldn't say that, miss glen, if i were you," exclaimed major lacy, quietly entering the room through one of the long windows opening on the veranda. "ah, sempland, have you told your little tale?"
"'ah, sempland, have you told your little tale?'"
"'ah, sempland, have you told your little tale?'"
"yes."
"exposed me to this young lady?"
"i have."
"and condemned me as an utter scoundrel, a blackguard?"
"not quite. i told the truth," returned sempland, calmly, "just as i said to you i would, and for that i am ready to answer in any way to please you. we can settle the matter when the war is over."
"very well. what did you say, miss glen?" continued lacy, turning to that young woman.
"i told him it wasn't true!" burst out the girl, impetuously.
"ah, but it is," said lacy, softly. "i am all that he says, and more, too."
"but look at what you have done."
"but little, after all. i heard you reproaching sempland for what he had not done when i came in. that isn't fair. no braver man lives than rhett sempland. why, did it not take courage to defy me, to tell me to my face that i was a scoundrel, a blackguard? and it took more courage to defy custom, convention, propriety, to come here and tell you the same things. no, miss glen, sempland only lacks opportunity. fortune has not been kind to him. in that settlement after the war there will be a struggle i'll warrant you."
"see! he can speak nobly of you," cried fanny glen, turning reproachfully to sempland.
"i never said he was not a gentleman, could not be a gentleman, that is, when he was—when he wished to be one, that is, as well as a brave man. he has good blood in him, but that doesn't alter the case. he isn't a fit match for you, or for any woman. i am not speaking for myself. i know my case is hopeless—"
"gad!" laughed lacy, "you have tried then and lost? it's my turn then. miss glen, you have heard the worst of me this afternoon. i have been a drunkard, a scoundrel. i have fallen low, very low. but sometimes i am a gentleman. perhaps in your presence i might always be. i can't tell. i'm not sure. will you take me for your lover, and in good time your husband, under such circumstances? faith, i'm afraid it'll not be for better, but for worse."
sempland said nothing. he would not interfere now. fanny glen must answer for herself. he clenched his teeth and strove to control himself. in spite of his efforts, however, the blood flamed into his dark face. fanny glen grew very white, her blue eyes shone like stars in the pallor of her face under her fair hair. she hesitated. she looked from one to the other. she could not speak. she was too conscious of that stern iron figure. yet she would have given worlds to say "yes" to lacy's plea.
"choose, miss glen," said lacy, at last. it was hard for him to wait for anything. "you stand between us, you see. i warn you if you do not take me, you will take sempland. look at him,—" he smiled satirically,—"he always gets what he wants. he is the very incarnation of bulldog tenacity and resolution. if i don't get you, he certainly will."
"how dare you comment upon me?" cried sempland.
"patience, my good sir," said the other, coolly. "you commented upon me in my absence. i comment upon you in your presence. the advantage is mine. as i said, miss glen, it is a choice between us. do not choose me, if you should be so fatuously inclined, because i happen to have had some chances for distinction, for i assure you, on my honor, all there is left of it, that if sempland gets half a chance he'll do better than i. choose because you love him—or me."
the girl stared from one to the other in indignant bewilderment. lacy was an ideal lover. sempland looked like a stern master, and she hated a master. she made a half step toward the handsomer and weaker man, and a half turn toward the homelier and stronger. in her heart of hearts she found in that moment which she preferred. and, as love is wayward, in the knowledge came a surprise for her—and it brought shame. lacy was handsome and gallant and distinguished, in spite of all, but sempland was strong—a man indeed.
"oh!" she cried, looking at him, "if you only had done something great or—"
"what!" he cried, his face alight.
but she turned instantly away. in her words lacy, more subtile and more used to women, read her preference and his rejection. but he smiled bravely and kindly at her in spite of his knowledge.
"major lacy," she said, giving him her hand, "i esteem you, i honor you, i respect you. i do not believe what this—what has been said about you. but i do not love you." she drew away from him. "you were mistaken. there is no choice between you, for i love neither of you. i do not love anybody. i hate you both!" she flashed out inconsistently. "now go! i don't want to see either of you again."
she buried her face in her hands and burst into tears.
"i will do something to deserve your praise," said sempland, in his deep voice, turning away.
"miss glen," said lacy, most graciously,—fanny glen's presence seemed to call all that was good in him to the surface,—"no one has respected me, or trusted me, or honored me as you have, for years. sempland cannot rob me of that, even though he should win you. good-by, and, if it be not grotesque from me, may god bless you!"
