"Yes. But how can she affect Alwynne and me? Of course I know what a lot Alwynne thinks of her. She's rather delightful on the subject. Thinks her perfection, and so on. Alwynne is naïve; conveys more than she knows or intends, sometimes. And she never looks at her god's feet, does she? 'Clare' and 'Clare' and 'Clare.' Personally, I imagine her a bit of a brute." "I try to be fair. She is fond of Alwynne." "Why not? But what's that got to do with Alwynne's caring for me, if I am lucky enough to make her? And I'm--conceitedly sure--that it's only a question of waking Alwynne up." "You don't know Clare. If once she knows, she'll never let the child go." "But if Alwynne were engaged to me?" "She'll never allow it. She'll play on Alwynne's affection for her." "But why? I shouldn't interfere with their friendship." "My dear Roger--marriage ends friendship automatically. Clare would be shrewd enough to see that. And even--otherwise--she would never share. You don't guess how jealous women are." Roger leant back in his chair with a gesture of bewilderment. "My dearest cousin! The age of sorcery is over. You talk as if Alwynne were under a spell." "Practically she is. Of course Clare would put it on the highest grounds--unsuitability--a waste of talents. She pretends to despise domesticity. Alwynne would be hypnotised into repeating her arguments as her own opinion." "Hypnotism?" "Oh, not literally. But she really does influence some women, and young girls especially, in the most uncanny way. I've watched it so often." "She's not married?" "She hardly ever speaks to a man. I've seen her at gaieties, when she was younger. She was always rather stranded. Men left her alone. Something in her seems to repel them. I think she fully realised it. And she's a proud woman. There's tragedy in it." "Does she repel you?" "Not in that way. I dislike her. I think her dangerous. I'm intensely sorry for her. And I do understand something of the attraction she exercises, better than you can, though it has never affected me. You see--eccentricity--abnormality--does not affect women as it does men. And she's brilliantly clever." "So is Alwynne--you wouldn't call her abnormal?" "Alwynne? Never! She's as sound and sweet as an apple. But--and it means a good deal at her age--she's in abnormal hands. Clare Hartill is abnormal, spiritually perverse--and she's fastened on the child. They adore each other. It's terribly bad for Alwynne. As it is, it will take her months to shake off Clare's influence, even with you to help her. That is, if you succeed in detaching her. I'm useless, of course. Loving--just loving--is no good. You can only influence if you are strong enough to wound. I merely irritate. I'm weak. But you could do as you like, I believe. Take her away from that selfish woman, Roger! It's blighting her." "You think," he said, "that she would be content with me--with marriage as a career? Of course, Miss Hartill's right about her talents."