\"Incurablyromantic,\"shehadcalledme,incalmermoments,whenIwasabletodiscussouraffairobjectively.AndonceshedeclaredthatIhadnosenseoftragedy.Weread\"Macbeth\"together,Iremember,onerainySunday.Themodernworld,whichwasourgeneration,wouldseemtobecutofffromallthatprecededitaswithadescendingknife.Itwaspreciselyfrom\"thesenseoftragedy\"thatwehadbeenemancipated:fromthe\"agonizedconscience,\"Ishouldundoubtedlyhavesaid,hadIbeenacquaintedthenwithMr.Santayana\'slaterphrase.Conscience,——theoldkindofconscience,——andnothinginherentinthedeedsthemselves,madethetragedy;consciencewassuperstition,thefearofthewrathofthegods:consciencewasthewrathofthegods.Eliminateit,andbehold!
therewerenoconsequences.Thegodsthemselves,thatkindofgods,becameasextinctasthedeitiesoftheDruids,theGreekfates,theterriblefiguresofGermanmythology.Yes,andastheGodofChristianorthodoxy.
HadanydirecalamitiesovertakenthemodernMacbeths,ofwhosepersonalliveswehappenedtoknowsomething?Hadnotthesegreatonesbrokenwithimpunityallthelawsoftraditionalmorality?Theygroundthefacesofthepoor,playedgolfandwenttochurchwithsereneminds,untroubledbycriticism;theyappropriated,quitefreely,othermen\'smoney,andsomeofthemothermen\'swives,andyettheywerenothaggardwithremorse.Thegodsremainedsilent.Christianministersregardedthesemoderntransgressorsofancientlawsbenignlyandacceptedtheircontributions.Here,indeed,werethesupermenofthemadGermanprophetandphilosophercometolife,refutingallclassictragedy.Itistruethatsomeofthesesupermenwereoccasionallysweptawaybydisease,whichinancientdayswouldhavebeenregardedasaretributivescourge,butwasinfactnothingbutthelogicalworkingofthelawsofhygiene,theresultofoverwork.Such,thoughstatedmorecrudely,weremycontentionswhendesiredidnotcloudmybrainandmakemeincoherent.
AndIdidnotfailtoremindNancy,constantly,thatthiswasthepathonwhichherfeethadbeenset;thattowavernowwastoperish.Shesmiled,yetsheshowedconcern.
\"Butsupposeyoudon\'tgetwhatyouwant?\"sheobjected.\"Whatthen?