Armine, Chapter XV-XVII [pp. 685-708]

1883.] ARMIArE. 695
"She is very attractive," said Egerton, discreetly holding his
peace with regard to certain drawbacks to this attractiveness.
When he came again it was on Sunday evening, and he was
not surprised to find Miss Bertram sitting by ~~~~~~g~~~~5
couch. He had felt quite sure that she would return, and the
expression of her countenance-an expression compounded of
gentleness, compassion, and vivid interest-told him how deeply
she was impressed, even before he found an opportunity to speak
to her. Indeed, it chanced that just then two or three intellectual men were gathered around D'Antignac, and their talk was
different from that which Miss Bertram was in the habit of hearing in thd social circle which she chiefly frequented. One slight
man, lean as a greyhound and dark as an Arab, was a professor
of the Sorbonne; another was a journalist of note, the author of a
political brochurc of which just then all Paris was talking; while
a third was an Englishman with rugged face and leonine mane,
whose name was God win, wi~o occupied an apartment above the
D'Antignacs' and was one of their warmest friends. This man
had been talking when Egerton came up.
"Oh!~I grant that, as a nation, logic is your strong point," he
was saying to one of the Frenchmen, "but it seems more likely
to prove your destruction than your salvation. Taking certain
principles, such as liberty of thought and the rights of man, you
carry them out to a conclusion which cuts every belief froin
under your feet and reduces life to chaos. Whereas the Englishman, strong in common sense and recognizing th~ multitude
of mysteries that surround him in life, accepts with philosophy
an illogical position for the sake of its practical ~dvantages."
The professor shrugged his shoulders. "The mot de Pcn~~me
is in the last sentence," he said. "Your countrymen, monsieur,
would do much more than accept an illogical position for the
sake of its practical advantages, especially since you will not
deny that, generally speaking, their sense of logic is not keen."
"Generally speaking it is very obtuse," said God win, "and
so much the better for them. What has the fine logic of the
French ever done but lead them into atheism, revolution, and
anarchy?"
"And does it not occur to you," said the other, "that the
temper of mind which seeks truth, and truth only, even if it leads
to what you call atheism, to revolution, and to anarchy, is better
than that which contentedly compromises with error for the sake
of the practical advantage of present peace and prosperity?"
"No," answered God win, "I cannot admit that it is better