The Rules of the Game: "Friday the 13th, 1901" 7x14
A gentleman abides by the rules of the game.
When his broom had touched the rock during the curling match, he could have said nothing. He could have rubbed the victory in Leslie Garland's smug face. He could have celebrated the fact that there was one thing Leslie Garland couldn't best him at.
But the rules dictate that if you burn the stone, good sportsmanship requires you to confess the infraction.
And so he did, and lost something else to Leslie Garland.
When Garland came over to him and Murdoch at the pub after the match, and congratulated them on a game well played, he could have told Garland to shove off, or thrown his pint in his face. It would have been satisfactory, to see Leslie Garland's smug face dripping in amber liquid, to see him sputter. It would have been worth it, he decided, to get kicked out of the pub.
But the rules dictate that when your friend is in need of your counsel and your friendship and a listening ear, you put aside the troubles in your own personal life and you listen in earnest to theirs.
And so he did, and tried not to interrupt or one-up the detective in this instance. Anyone could see that the detective and Dr. Ogden were meant for each other; it remained to be seen with himself and Dr. Grace.
When the detective told him that Leslie Garland was a gentleman, he could have listed fifteen different reasons why Leslie Garland was in fact a smug, selfish, pandering bastard and should be strung from the nearest rooftop.
But the rules dictate that if you truly love someone, that you want them to be happy, even if they're not with you.
And he truly did love Emily, and wanted her to be happy, even if he wasn't the one to make her that way. So if Leslie Garland made her happy, then he would try to be a gentleman, and accept that.
Sometimes, adhering to the rules really was the worst part.