Then the event happened and Sabina became the mother of a man child.

Raymond was still with Arthur Waldron when Estelle brought the news, and the men discussed it.

“I hope she’ll be reasonable now,” said Ironsyde.  “It bothered me when she refused to see me, because you can’t oppose reason to stupidity of that sort.  If she’s going to take my aunt’s line, of course, I’m done, and shall be powerless to help her.  I spoke to Uncle Ernest about it two days ago.  He says that it will have to be marriage, or nothing, and seemed to think that would move me to marriage!  Some people can’t understand plain English.  But why should she cut off her nose to spite her face and refuse my friendship and help because I won’t marry her?”

“She’s that sort, I suppose.  Of course, plenty of women would do the same.”

“I’m not convinced it’s Sabina really who is doing this.  That’s why I wanted to see her.  Very likely Aunt Jenny is inspiring such a silly attitude, or her mother.  They may think if she’s firm I may yield.  They don’t seem to realise that love’s as dead as a doornail now.  But my duty is clear enough and they can’t prevent me from doing it, I imagine.”

“You want to be sporting to the child, of course.”

“And to the mother of the child.  Damn it all, I’m made of flesh and blood.  I’m not a fiend.  But with women, if you have a grain of common-sense and reasoning power, you become a fiend the moment there’s a row.  I want Sabina and my child to have a good show in the world, Arthur.”

“Well, you must let her know it.”

“I’ll see her, presently.  I’ll take no denial about that.  It may be a pious plot really, for religious people don’t care how they intrigue, if they can bring off what they want to happen.  It was very strange she refused to see me.  Perhaps they never told her that I offered to come.”

“Yes, they did, because Estelle heard Churchouse tell her.  Estelle was with her at the time, and she said she was so sorry when Sabina refused.  It may have been because she was ill, of course.”

“I must see her before I go away, anyway.  If they’ve been poisoning her mind against me, I must put it right.”

“You’re a rum ’un!  Can’t you see what this means to her?  You talk as if she’d no grievance, and as though it was all a matter of course and an everyday thing.”

“So it is, for that matter.  However, there’s no reason for you to bother about it.  I quite recognise what it is to be a father, and the obligations.  But because I happen to be a father, is no reason why I should be asked to do impossibilities.  Because you’ve made a fool of yourself once is no reason why you should again.  By good chance I’ve had unexpected luck in life and things have fallen out amazingly well—­and I’m very willing indeed that other people should share my good luck and good fortune.  I mean that they shall.  But I’m not going to negative my good fortune by doing an imbecile thing.”