To him the blow that had fallen on
Quisante seemed no public evil. Allowing the man's talents, he distrusted
both his aims and his methods; they would not have come to good; the
removal of his personality meant relief from an influence which was not
healthy and an example which taught nothing beyond the satisfaction of
ambition and the pursuit of power. It was well then if Quisante were
indeed, as he himself said, "done with," so far as public activity went.
Marchmont, not concealing his particular interest but rather facing it
and declaring it just, went on to say that, since Quisante was done with
publicly, it was well that he should be done with privately also, and
that as speedily as might be. Love for May Quisante might be the moving
spring of this conclusion, but he insisted that it was not necessary
thereto. Any reasonable person her friend, nay, anybody whose attention
was fairly directed to the case, must hold the same view. There was a
hideous mistake to be undone, and only one way of undoing it. Permanent
unions in marriage, immense and indispensable engines of civilisation,
yet exacted their price.
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