She adores him--she'd go to the stake
for him any day. And if you want to be a friend of hers, lay a finger on
him, and you'll see! Of course it's mad--I know that. But I'd rather marry
her mad than any other woman sane!"
"All the same you _could_ break it off," persisted Lester.
"Of course I could. I could hang--or poison--or shoot myself, I suppose, if
it comes to that. It would be much the same thing. If I do have to give her
up, I shall cut the whole business--Parliament--estates--everything!"
The quarter-decking began again; and Lester waited patiently on a slowly
subsiding frenzy. At last he put a question.
"What are your chances?"
"With her? I don't know. She encourages me one day, and snubs me the next.
But one thing I do know. If I attend that meeting, and make the sort of
speech I should have made three months ago without turning a hair--and if I
don't make it, mother will know the reason why!--it's all up with me."
"Why don't you apply to Coryston?"
"What--to give up the other meeting? He's very likely to climb down, isn't
he?--with his damned revolutionary nonsense. He warned us all that he was
coming down here to make mischief--and, by Jove, he's doing it!"
"I say, who's taking my name in vain?" said a high-pitched voice.
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