The struggle went all against idealism.  It was a noble vision, that of Michael’s, but too certainly Jane Snowdon was not the person to make it a reality; the fearful danger was, that all the possibilities of her life might be sacrificed to a vain conscientiousness.  Her character was full of purity and sweetness and self-forgetful warmth, but it had not the strength necessary for the carrying out of a purpose beset with difficulties and perils.  Michael, it was true, appeared to be aware of this; it did not, however, gravely disturb him, and for the simple reason that not to Jane alone did he look for the completion of his design; destiny had brought him aid such as he could never have anticipated; Jane’s helpmate was at hand, in whom his trust was unbounded.

What was in his way, that Sidney should not accept the responsibility?  Conscience from the first whispered against his doing so, and the whisper was grown to so loud a voice that not an adverse argument could get effective hearing.  Temptations lurked for him and sprang out in moments of his weakness, but as temptations they were at once recognised.  ’He had gone too far to retire; he would be guilty of sheer treachery to Jane; he would break the old man’s heart.’  All which meant merely that he loved the girl, and that it would be like death to part from her.  But why part?  What had conscience got hold of, that it made all this clamour?  Oh, it was simple enough; Sidney not only had no faith in the practicability of such a life’s work as Michael visioned, but he had the profoundest distrust of his own moral strength if he should allow himself to be committed to lifelong renunciation.  ‘I am no hero,’ he said, ’no enthusiast.  The time when my whole being could be stirred by social questions has gone by.  I am a man in love, and in proportion as my love has strengthened, so has my old artist-self revived in me, until now I can imagine no bliss so perfect as to marry Jane Snowdon and go off to live with her amid fields and trees, where no echo of the suffering world should ever reach us.’  To confess this was to make it terribly certain that sooner or later the burden of conscientiousness would become intolerable.  Not from Jane would support come in that event; she, poor child I would fall into miserable perplexity, in conflict between love and duty, and her life would be rained.

Of course a man might have said, ’What matter how things arrange themselves when Michael is past knowledge of them?  I will marry the woman I honestly desire, and together we will carry out this humanitarian project so long as it be possible.  When it ceases to be so, well—.’  But Sidney could not take that view.  It shamed him beyond endurance to think that he must ever avoid Jane’s look, because he had proved himself dishonest, and, what were worse, had tempted her to become so.