"You have not so much at stake. It is likely that the happiness of
my whole life depends upon this venture."
A curious smile passed across Jack Meredith's face. Without turning
his head, he glanced sideways into Durnovo's face through the gloom.
But he said nothing, and it was Oscard who broke the silence by
saying simply:
"The same may possibly apply to me."
There was a little pause, during which he lighted his pipe.
"To a certain extent," he said in emendation. "Of course, my real
object, as you no doubt know, is to get away from England until my
father's death has been forgotten. My own conscience is quite
clear, but--"
Jack Meredith drew in his legs and leant forward.
"But," he said, interrupting, and yet not interrupting--"but the
public mind is an unclean sink. Everything that goes into it comes
out tainted. Therefore it is best only to let the public mind have
the scourings, as it were, of one's existence. If they get anything
better--anything more important--it is better to skedaddle until it
has run through and been swept away by a flow of social garbage."
Guy Oscard grunted with his pipe between his teeth, after the manner
of the stoic American-Indian--a grunt that seemed to say, "My pale-
faced brother has spoken well; he expresses my feelings.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134