I told him that a
foolish, rash engagement was better broken than kept. The foolish
marriages that people rush into are the greatest bane of life!"
"And would you really have advised him, David," asked his wife, "to
break off an engagement if he had made one?"
"Of course I should! I----"
"Then I am glad I came in in time to prevent your doing anything so
wicked."
"Wicked?" Sewell turned from his desk, where he was about to sit
down, in astonishment.
"Yes! Do you think that nobody else is to be considered in such a
thing? What about the poor, silly girl if he breaks off with her?
Oh, you men are all alike! Even the best! You think it is a dreadful
thing for a young man to be burdened with a foolish love affair at
the beginning of his career; but you never think of the girl whose
whole career is spoiled, perhaps, if the affair is broken off!
Hasn't she any right to be considered?"
"I should think," said Sewell, distinctly daunted, "that they were
equally fortunate, if it were broken off."
"O my dear, you know you don't think anything of the kind! If he has
more mind than she has, and is capable of doing something in the
world, he goes on and forgets her; but she remembers him. Perhaps
it's her one chance in life to get married--to have a home. You know
very well that in a case of that kind--a rash engagement, as you
call it--both are to blame; and shall one do all the suffering? Very
probably his fancy was taken first, and he followed her up, and
flattered her into liking him; and now shall he leave her because
he's tired of her?"
"Yes," said Sewell, recovering from the first confusion which his
wife's unexpected difference of opinion had thrown him into, "I
should think that was the very best reason in the world why he
should leave her.
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