Part 21 (1/2)

It was plainly evident that Marguerite did not share my sense of embarra.s.sment, that she was aware of no breach of ethics. But her ease only served to impress upon me the greater burden of my responsibility and emphasize the breach of honour of which I was guilty in permitting this expression of my love to a woman whom circ.u.mstances had bound to Zimmern.

Pleading need for rest and for time to plan my interview with His Majesty, I hastened away, feeling that I dare not trust myself alone with her again.

~6~

I returned to my own apartment, and when another day had pa.s.sed, food and sleep had fully restored me to a normal state. I then recalled my promise to inform h.e.l.lar and Zimmern of the outcome of my demonstration.

I called at Zimmern's quarters but he was not at home. Hence I went to call on h.e.l.lar, to ask of Zimmern's whereabouts.

”I have an appointment to meet him tonight,” said h.e.l.lar, ”on the Level of Free Women. Will you not come along?”

I could not well do otherwise than accept, and h.e.l.lar led me again to the apartment from which I had fled twenty-four hours before. There we found Zimmern, who received me with his usual graciousness.

”I have already heard from Marguerite,” said Zimmern, ”of your success.”

I glanced apprehensively at the girl but she was in no wise disturbed, and proceeded to relate for h.e.l.lar's information the story of my coming to her exhausted from my work and of my falling asleep in her apartment.

All of them seemed to think it amusing, but there was no evidence that any one considered it the least improper. Their matter-of-fact att.i.tude puzzled and annoyed me; they seemed to treat the incident as if it had been the experience of a couple of children.

This angered me, for it seemed proof that they considered Marguerite's love as the common property of any and all.

”Could it be,” I asked myself, ”that jealousy has been bred and trained out of this race? Is it possible they have killed the instinct that demands private and individual property in love?” Even as I pondered the problem it seemed answered, for as I sat and talked with Zimmern and h.e.l.lar of my chemical demonstration and the coming interview with His Majesty, Marguerite came and seated herself on the arm of my chair and pillowed her head on my shoulder.

Troubled and embarra.s.sed, yet not having the courage to repulse her caresses, I stared at Zimmern, who smiled on us with indulgence. In fact it seemed that he actually enjoyed the scene. My anger flamed up against him, but for Marguerite I had only pity, for her action seemed so natural and unaffected that I could not believe that she was making sport of me, and could only conclude that she had been so bred in the spirit of the place that she knew nothing else.

My talk with the men ended as had the last one, without arriving at any particular plan of action, and when h.e.l.lar arose first to go, I took the opportunity to escape from what to me was an intolerable situation.

~7~

I separated from h.e.l.lar and for an hour or more I wandered on the level.

Then resolving to end the strain of my enigmatical position I turned again toward Marguerite's apartment. She answered my ring. I entered and found her alone.

”Marguerite,” I began, ”I cannot stand this intolerable situation. I cannot share the love of a woman with another man--I cannot steal a woman's love from a man who is my friend--”

At this outburst Marguerite only stared at me in puzzled amazement.

”Then you do not want me to love you,” she stammered.

”G.o.d knows,” I cried, ”how I do want you to love me, but it must not be while Dr. Zimmern is alive and you--”

”So,” said a voice--and glancing up I saw Zimmern himself framed in the doorway of the book room. The old doctor looked from me to Marguerite, while a smile beamed on his courtly countenance.

”Sit down and calm yourself, Armstadt,” said Zimmern. ”It is time I spoke to you of Marguerite and of the relation I bear to her. As you know, I brought her to this level from the school for girls of forbidden birth. But what you do not know is that she was born on the Royal Level.

”I knew Marguerite's mother. She was Princess Fedora, a third cousin of the Empress. I was her physician, for I have not always been in the Eugenic Service. But Marguerite was born out of wedlock, and the mother declined to name the father of her child. Because of that the child was consigned to the school for forbidden love-children, which meant that she would be fated for the life of a free woman and become the property of such men as had the price to pay.

”When her child was taken away from her, the mother killed herself; and because I declined to testify as to what I knew of the case I lost my commission as a physician of Royalty. But still having the freedom of the school levels, I was permitted to keep track of Marguerite. As soon as she reached the age of her freedom I brought her here, and by the aid of her splendid birth and the companions.h.i.+p of thinking men she has become the woman you now find her.”

In my jealousy I had listened to the first words of the old doctor with but little comprehension. But as he talked on so calmly and kindly an eager hope leaped up within me. Was it possible that it had been I who had misunderstood--and that Zimmern's love for Marguerite was of another sort than mine?