Page:Rowland--In the shadow.djvu/137

 "You have asked my counsel, but before giving it I must explain certain things." His voice became rhythmic, the voice of a pedagogue, a professor. "You mention with horror the idea of this Haytian exercising any physical attraction for Miss Moultrie; you wish that it were mental, spiritual, psychical—a lovely word, by the way, and much in vogue with those wishing to describe what they cannot understand. My dear fellow, you should let well enough alone! If it were anything but the physical which attracted your sister it would be a matter for the deepest regret."

"I do not agree with you!" interrupted Manning sulkily.

"There is no especial reason why you should," pursued Leyden calmly. "All I ask is that you follow me. I say that this attraction is properly physical." He raised his hand warningly. "Man, I know what I am saying; have you never seen a woman stand fascinated in front of the cage of a tiger when the brute is exercising himself, going through his paces? This is a purely physical attraction; I fear from your words that your vocabulary is inaccurate. By physical attraction one does not necessarily imply a—now do not misunderstand me again—sexual. A physical attraction may be defined as the attraction of cell for cell, fiber for fiber, nerve for nerve; an attraction which may go no higher than the spinal cord, a reflex sympathy; or, when it does go higher, what then? It is the joy of one vigorous vitality in another.

"To make myself more plain, there are certain inherent qualities in certain entities which may call to like qualities in another, entirely ex-intellect. Every human 127