And who, by the way, holds the longest claim on history? Your
kind or this other? The world does not perpetuate in its chronicles
the continence of women; it is too small, too personal, too common to
be noted. Cleopatra were lost among the horde of forgotten sovereigns,
had she wedded duly and scorned Mark Antony; Aspasia would have been
buried in a gynaeconitis had she wedded Pericles, and Sappho--but the
list is too long; I will not bury you in testimony."
Laodice raised her head.
"You reason well," she said. "It never occurred to me how wickedness
could justify itself by reason. But I observe now how serviceable a
thing it is. It seems that you can reason away any truth, any fact,
any ideal. Perhaps you can banish God by reason, or defend crime by
reason; reason, I shall not be surprised to learn, can make all things
possible or impossible. But--does reason hush that strange speaking
voice in you, which we Jews call conscience? Tell me; have you
reasoned till it ceases to rebuke you?"
"Ah, how hard you are to accommodate," Amaryllis smiled. "I mean to
show you how you can abide here. I can ask no more of John.
Philadelphus alone is master of your fate. I have not sought to change
you before I sought to change Philadelphus. He will not change so long
as you are beautiful. This is life, my dear. You may as well prepare
for it now.
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