Part 37 (1/2)
”Pray remember to be at handto conduct her to her chair!” he drawled ”Upon rieved There is a renored the suggestion
”I suppose it is nothing to you that you lose her? No; It is nothing to you that she disgraces her name? Oh, no!”
” My narace yours?”
Richard hite and his hand flew instinctively to his sword hilt
Tracy looked at him
”Do you think I would soil my blade with you?” he asked, very softly
Richard's hand fell from the hilt: his eyes searched the other's face
”You know?” he asked at last, quite calently ”You fool, do you think I have not always known?”
Richard leaned against the ht I was innocent? You knew that night? You guessed?”
The Duke sneered
”Knowing both, could I suspect other than you?” he asked insultingly
”Oh, my God!” cried Carstares suddenly ”Why could you not have said so before?”
The Duke's eyes opened wide
”It has chafed youeh? I kneould I've watched you” He chuckled beneath his breath ”And those fools never looked beneath the surface One and all, they believed that John would cheat John! They sed it tauessed at the truth”
”You, at least, did not believe?”
”I? Hardly Knowing you for a weak fool and him for a quixotic fool, I rather jumped to conclusions”
”Instead, you tried to throw the blame on him I would to God you had exposed me!”
”So you have remarked I confess I do not understand this heroic attitude Why should I interfere in as none of my business? What proof had I?”
”Why did you raise no deht it fairly obvious”
Richard stared at hiularly obtuse Have I not pointed out that John was a quixotic fool? When did I say he was a weak one?”
”You ht to squeeze me as you willed?” asked Carstares slowly
His Grace's thin nostrils wrinkled up
”You are so crude,” he coraced? You thought I should seize his ue? But you will adue You areera dishonest saint I would sooner be what I a on God's earth more vile than I am!” replied Carstares, violently
His Grace sneered openly
”Very pretty, Richard, but a little tardy,seeo, I suppose? You confess the truth on Fridayeh?”
Richard bowed his head
”I have not the right to stop her Shechooses her own road”
”She knows?” sharply
”She has always known”
”The jade! And I never guessed it!” He paused ”Yes, I understand your heroic attitude
I am sorry I cannot pander to it In spite of all this, I cannot permit my sister to ruin herself”
”She were as effectually ruined an she stayed with me”
”Pshaw! After seven years, who is like to care one way or the other which of you cheated? Play the man for once and stop her!”
”She loves Lovelace, I tell you!”
”What of it? She will recover from that”
”NoI cannot ask her to stay with me'twould be damnably selfish”
His Grace appeared exasperated
”'Fore Gad, you are a fool! Ask her! Ask her! Force her! Kick Lovelace fro of you!”
”Do you suppose I want to lose her?” cried Carstares ”'Tis because I love her so much that I will not stand in the way of her happiness!”
The Duke flung round and picked up his hat