Have you the
heart to say this of your own son, unnatural mother!'
'I am astonished at you!' said Gashford, with a kind of meek severity.
'This is a very sad picture of female depravity.'
'He has surely no appearance,' said Lord George, glancing at Barnaby,
and whispering in his secretary's ear, 'of being deranged? And even
if he had, we must not construe any trifling peculiarity into madness.
Which of us'--and here he turned red again--'would be safe, if that were
made the law!'
'Not one,' replied the secretary; 'in that case, the greater the zeal,
the truth, and talent; the more direct the call from above; the clearer
would be the madness. With regard to this young man, my lord,' he added,
with a lip that slightly curled as he looked at Barnaby, who stood
twirling his hat, and stealthily beckoning them to come away, 'he is as
sensible and self-possessed as any one I ever saw.'
'And you desire to make one of this great body?' said Lord George,
addressing him; 'and intended to make one, did you?'
'Yes--yes,' said Barnaby, with sparkling eyes. 'To be sure I did! I told
her so myself.'
'I see,' replied Lord George, with a reproachful glance at the unhappy
mother.
Pages:
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639