‘Well, you want the jury to read that scene. You will have a busy luncheon interval, gentlemen. Go on, Sir James.’
‘Now, Miss Ferrar – my friend made a point of the fact that you are engaged to a wealthy and highly respected Member of Parliament. How long have you been engaged to him?’
‘Six months.’
‘You have no secrets from him, I suppose?’
‘Why should I answer that?’
‘Why should she, Sir James?’
‘I am quite content to leave it to her reluctance, my lord.’
Sneering brute! As if everybody hadn’t secrets from everybody !
‘Your engagement was not made public till January, was it?’
‘No.’
‘May I take it that you were not sure of your own mind till then?’
‘If you like.’
‘Now, Miss Ferrar, did you bring this action because of your good name? Wasn’t it because you were hard up?’
She was conscious again of blood in her cheeks.
‘No.’
‘Were you hard up when you brought it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Very?’
‘Not worse than I have been before.’
‘I put it to you that you owed a great deal of money, and were hard pressed.’
‘If you like.’
‘I’m glad you’ve admitted that, Miss Ferrar; otherwise I should have had to prove it. And you didn’t bring this action with a view to paying some of your debts?’
‘No.’
‘Did you in early January become aware that you were not likely to get any sum in settlement of this suit?’
‘I believe I was told that an offer was withdrawn.’
‘And do you know why?’
‘Yes, because Mrs Mont wouldn’t give the apology I asked for.’
‘Exactly I And was it a coincidence that you thereupon made up your mind to marry Sir Alexander MacGown?’
‘A coincidence?’
‘I mean the announcement of your engagement, you know?’
Brute!
‘It had nothing to do with this case.’
‘Indeed! Now when you brought this action, did you really care one straw whether people thought you moral or not?’
‘I brought it chiefly because I was called “a snake”.’
‘Please answer my question.’
‘It isn’t so much what I cared, as what my friends cared.’
‘But their view of morality is much what yours is – thoroughly accommodating?’
‘Not my fiancé’s’
‘Ah! no. He doesn’t move in your circle, you said. But the rest of your friends. You’re not ashamed of your own accommodating philosophy, are you?’
‘No.’
‘Then why be ashamed of it for them?’
‘How can I tell what their philosophy is?’
‘How can she, Sir James?’
‘As your lordship pleases. Now, Miss Ferrar! You like to stand up for your views, I hope. Let me put your philosophy to you in a nutshell: You believe, don’t you, in the full expression of your personality; it would be your duty, wouldn’t it, to break through any convention – I don’t say law – but any so-called moral convention that cramped you?’
‘I never said I had a philosophy.’
‘Don’t run away from it, please.’
‘I’m not in the habit of running away.’
‘I’m so glad of that. You believe in being the sole judge of your own conduct?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’re not alone in that view, are you?’
‘I shouldn’t think so.’
‘It’s the view, in fact, of what may be called the forward wing of modern Society, isn’t it – the wing you belong to, and are proud of belonging to? And in that section of Society – so long as you don’t break the actual law – you think and do as you like, eh?’
‘One doesn’t always act up to one’s principles.’
‘Quite so. But among your associates, even if you and they don’t always act up to it, it is a principle, isn’t it, to judge for yourselves and go your own ways without regard to convention?’
‘More or less.’
‘And, living in that circle, with that belief, you have the effrontery to think the words: “She hasn’t a moral about her”, entitle you to damages?’
Her voice rang out angrily: ‘I have morals. They may not be yours, but they may be just as good, perhaps better. I’m not a hypocrite, anyway.’
Again she saw him look at her, there was a gleam in his eyes; and she knew she had made another mistake.
‘We’ll leave my morals out of the question, Miss Ferrar. But we’ll go a little farther into what you say are yours. In your own words, it should depend on temperament, circumstances, environment, whether you conform to morality or not?’