"What frightful wickedness!" she exclaimed. "What motive can there
have been, do you think?"
"Probably none, in the sense you mean."
"Yes--such a man must be mad."
"I don't think that," said Glazzard, meditatively. "I can understand
his doing it with no reason at all but the wish to see what would
happen. No doubt he would have been standing somewhere in sight."
"You can _understand_ that?"
"Very well indeed," he answered, in the same half-absent way. "Power
of all kinds is a temptation to men. A certain kind of man--not
necessarily cruel--would be fascinated with the thought of
bringing about such a terrific end by such slight means."
"Not necessarily cruel? Oh, I can't follow you at all. You are not
serious."
"I have shocked you." He saw that he had really done so, and felt
that it was imprudent. His tact suggested a use for the situation.
"Serena, why should you speak so conventionally? You are not really
conventional in mind. You have thoughts and emotions infinitely
above those of average girls. Do recognize your own superiority. I
spoke in a speculative way. One may speculate about anything and
everything--if one has the brains. You certainly are not made to
go through life with veiled eyes and a tongue tuned to the common
phrases. Do yourself justice, dear girl. However other people regard
you, I from the first have seen what it was in you to become.
Pages:
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172