Part 25 (1/2)
”Do you think so?” said Hoffland, s
”Yes: what I have said is the tritest truth That women admire these qualities excessively, and that, is as true as that sunlight”
”I deny it”
”Very well; that proves further, Charles, that you have not observed and studied much”
”Have you?”
”Extensively”
”And you are a great master in the wiles of women by this time, I suppose,” said Hoffland satirically
”No, youthe boy's smile ”I never shall pretend to understand woe before e? What do you mean?”
”I mean that the history of the reat key-note--is a maze unless you keep constantly in view the existence of this eleet on without theinated the present deification of woman,”
continued Mowbray philosophically, ”and the old knights left us the legacy We have long ago discarded for its opposite the scriptural doctrine that the man is not of the woman, but the woe plea, 'they are so weak'”
”Well, are they not?”
”Woman weak? Poor Charles! Parliaments, inquisitions, secret tribunals and executioners' axes are straws compared to thement is effaced like a shadow: he is soft clay in their hands One caress froiant Have you read the history of Saynist!” said Hoffland, ”you are really too bad!”
Mowbray smiled sadly
”Do not understand me to say that we should return to barbarous times, and e in the sun and dreae!
The knight raised up woman, and she made him a reproachless chevalier in return; but it did not end there He ! Divine love is strongest--he reat student, forsooth!”
”Deny it if you can: but you cannot, Charles The central idea of the e of chivalry--is woman That word interprets all; it is the open sesame which throide the portals Without it, that whole era is aanomalies--events without causes--actions without motives Well, see how truly we are the descendants of those knights To this day our social God is woman”
”Scoffer!”
”No; what I say is er It will irowth, for I declare to you that one hundred years hence, women in my opinion will not be satisfied with this poetic and chivalric horow bolder, and learn to regard these chivalric concessions to their purity and weakness as their natural rights
Wohts!--that will be their ord”
”And I suppose you would say they have no rights”
”Oh, ht to shape the characters and opinions of their infant children,” said Mowbray with a grave smile