"
He could feel through her veil the surprise with which she turned to
him: "You said, whenever we are in doubt, we must act unselfishly."
"Yes, I said that. But you must first be sure what is really
selfish--"
"I _know_ what is selfish in this case," said the girl with a
sublimity which, if foolish, was still sublimity. "She is sick--it
will kill her to lose him--You have said what I expected, and I
thank you, thank you, _thank_ you! And I will do it! Oh, don't
fear now but I shall; I _have_ done it! No matter," she went on
in her exaltation, "no matter how much we care for each other, now!"
"No," said Sewell decidedly. "That doesn't follow. I have thought of
such things; there was such a case within my experience once,"--he
could not help alleging this case, in which he had long triumphed,--
"and I have always felt that I did right in advising against a
romantic notion of self-sacrifice in such matters. You may commit a
greater wrong in that than in an act of apparent self-interest. You
have not put the case fully before me, and it isn't necessary that
you should, but if you contemplate any rash sacrifice, I warn you
against it."
"You said that we ought to act unselfishly."
"Yes, but you must beware of the refined selfishness which shrinks
from righteous self-assertion because it is painful. You must make
sure of your real motive; you must consider whether your sacrifice
is not going to do more harm than good.
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