With calm eyes she stared at the people in the
room and when she looked again toward Margaret there was a challenge
in her voice.
"Beauty has to endure," she said swiftly. "It has to be daring. It has
to outlive long years of life and many defeats." A hard look came into
her eyes as she challenged the daughter of wealth. "I had the courage
to be defeated and I have the courage to take what I want," she said.
"Have you that courage? If you have take this man. You want him and so
do I. Take his arm and walk away with him. Do it now, here before my
eyes."
Margaret shook her head. Her body trembled and her eyes looked wildly
about. She turned to David Ormsby. "I did not know that life could be
like this," she said. "Why didn't you tell me? She is right. I am
afraid."
A light came into McGregor's eyes and he turned quickly about. "I
see," he said, looking sharply at Edith, "you have also your purpose."
Turning again he looked into the eyes of David.
"There is something to be decided here. It is perhaps the supreme test
of a man's life. One struggles to keep a thought in mind, to be
impersonal, to see that life has a purpose outside his own purpose.
You have perhaps made that struggle. You see I'm making it now. I'm
going to take Edith and go back to work.
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