“That is your misrepresentation.  Of course, if you refuse to understand me—­”

He broke off, and went to another part of the room.

“Shall I tell you what all this means, Reuben?” said Cecily, turning towards him.  “We have lived so long in solitude, that the common circumstances of society are strange and disturbing to us.  Solitary people are theoretical people.  You would never have thought of forbidding me to read such and such a book, on the ground that it took me into doubtful company; the suggestion of such intolerance would have made you laugh scornfully.  You have become an idealist of a curious kind; you like to think of me as an emancipated woman, and yet, when I have the opportunity of making my independence practical, you show yourself alarmed.  I am not sure that I understand you entirely; I should be very sorry to explain your words of the other night in the sense they would bear on the lips of an ordinary man.  Can’t you help me out of this difficulty?”

Reuben was reflecting, and had no reply ready.

“If there is to be all this difference between theory and practice,” Cecily continued, “it must either mean that you think otherwise than you speak, or else that I have shown myself in some way very untrustworthy.  You say you have been angry with me; I have felt both angry and deeply hurt.  Suppose you had known certainly that Mrs. Travis was not an honourable woman, even then it was wrong to speak to me as you did.  Even then it would have been inconsistent to forbid me to see her.  You put yourself and me on different levels.  You make me your inferior—­morally your inferior.  What should you say if I began to warn you against one or other of the men you know—­if I put on a stern face, and told you that your morals were in danger?”

“Pooh! what harm can a man take?”

“And pray what harm can a woman take, if her name happens to be Cecily Elgar?”

She drew herself up, and stood regarding him with superb self-confidence.

“Without meaning it, you insult me, Reuben.  You treat me as a vulgar husband treats a vulgar wife.  What harm to me do you imagine?  Don’t let us deal in silly evasions and roundabout phrases.  Do you distrust my honour?  Do you think I can be degraded by association?  What woman living has power to make me untrue to myself?”

“You are getting rhetorical, Cecily.  Then at this rate I should never be justified in interfering?”

“In interfering with mere command, never.”

“Not if I saw you going to destruction?”

She smiled haughtily.

“When it comes to that, we’ll discuss the question anew.  But I see that you think it possible.  Evidently I have given proof of some dangerous weakness.  Tell me what it is, and I shall understand you better.”

“I’m afraid all this talk leads to nothing.  You claim an independence which will make it very difficult for us to live on the old terms.”