As soon as the old man had gone several voices were raised.
“A daddy of the old style!” remarked the clerk.
“A living Domostróy !” said the lady. “What barbarous views of women and marriage!”
“Yes, we are far from the European understanding of marriage,” said the lawyer.
“The chief thing such people do not understand,” continued the lady, “is that marriage without love is not marriage; that love sanctifies marriage, and that real marriage is only such as is sanctified by love.”
The clerk listened smilingly, trying to store up for future use all he could of the clever conversation.
In the midst of the lady’s remarks we heard, behind me, a sound like that of a broken laugh or sob; and on turning round we saw my neighbor, the lonely grey-haired man with the glittering eyes, who had approached unnoticed during our conversation, which evidently interested him. He stood with his arms on the back of the seat, evidently much excited; his face was red and a muscle twitched in his cheek.
“What kind of love … love … is it that sanctifies marriage?” he asked hesitatingly.
Noticing the speaker’s agitation, the lady tried to answer him as gently and fully as possible.
“True love … When such love exists between a man and a woman, then marriage is possible,” she said.