第17章
“Sitdownandtalktome，“shemurmured。“Doyouremembertheolddays，whenyouwereaverytimidyoungsecretaryofSirGeorgeNomsom，andIwasamaid-of-honourattheVienneseCourt？Dearme，howyouhavechanged！“
“Time，“hesaid，“willnotstandstillforallofus。Yetmymemorytellsmehowpossibleitwouldbe-forindeedthosedaysseembutasyesterday。“
Helookedupatherwithasuddenjealousy。Histoneshookwithpassion。NoonewouldhaverecognisedBrottnow。Inhisfiercesthourofdebate，hishourofgreatesttrial，hehadwornhismask，alwaysmasterofhimselfandhisspeech。Andnowhehadcastitoff。Hiseyeswerehungry，hislipstwitched。
“Asyesterday！Lucille，IcouldkillyouwhenIthinkofthosedays。Fortwentyyearsyourkisshaslainuponmylips-andyou-withyou-ithasbeendifferent。“
Shelaughedsoftlyuponhim，laughedmorewithhereyesthanwithherlips。Shewatchedhimcuriously。
“Dearme！“shemurmured，“whatwouldyouhave？Iamawoman-I
havebeenawomanallmydays，andthememoryofonekissgrowscold。
SoIwilladmitthatwithme-ithasbeendifferent。Come！Whatthen？“
Hegroaned。
“Iwonder，“hesaid，“whatmiserablefate，whatcursedstrokeoffortunebroughtyouoncemoreintomylife？“
Shethrewherheadbackandlaughedathim，thistimeheartily，unaffectedly。
“Whatadorablecandour！“sheexclaimed。“Mydearfriend，howamiableyouare。“
Helookedathersteadfastly，andsomehowthelaughdiedawayfromherlips。
“Lucille，willyoumarryme？“
“Marryyou？I？Certainlynot。“
“Andwhynot？“
“Forascoreofreasons，ifyouwantthem，“sheanswered。“First，becauseIthinkitisdelightfultohaveyouforafriend。Icanneverquitetellwhatyouaregoingtodoorsay。AsahusbandI
amalmostsurethatyouwouldbemonotonous。Butthen，howcouldyouavoidit？Itismadnesstothinkofdestroyingapleasantfriendshipinsuchamanner。“
“Youaremockingme，“hesaidsadly。
“Well，“shesaid，“whynot？Yourownproposalisamockery。
“Amockery！Myproposal！“
“Yes，“sheansweredsteadily。“Youknowquitewellthattheverythoughtofsuchathingbetweenyouandmeisanabsurdity。I
abhoryourpolitics，Idetestyourparty。Youareambitious，I
know。YouintendtobePrimeMinister，apeople’sPrimeMinister。
Well，formypart，Ihatethepeople。Iamanaristocrat。AsyourwifeIshouldbeinaperfectlyridiculousposition。Howfoolish！Youhaveledmeintotalkingofthisthingseriously。
Letusforgetallthisrubbish。“
Hestoodbeforeher-waitingpatiently，hismouthcloseset，hismannerdoggedwithpurpose。
“Itisnotrubbish，“hesaid。“ItistruethatIshallbePrimeMinister。Itistruealsothatyouwillbemywife。“
Sheshrankbackfromhim-uneasily。Thefireinhiseyes，theringinhistonedistressedher。
“Asformypolitics，youdonotunderstandthem。Butyoushall！I
willconvertyoutomywayofthinking。Yes，Iwilldothat。Thecauseofthepeople，offreedom，istheonegreatimpulsewhichbeatsthroughalltheworld。Youtooshallhearit。“
“Thankyou，“shesaid。“Ihavenowishtohearit。Idonotbelieveinwhatyoucallfreedomforthepeople。IhavediscoveredinAmericahowuncomfortableapeople’scountrycanhe。“
“YetyoumarriedanAmerican。YoucallyourselfstilltheCountessRadantz……butyoumarriedMr。JamesB。Peterson！“
“Itistrue，myfriend，“sheanswered。“ButtheAmericaninquestionwasapersonofcultureandintelligence，andathearthewasnomoreademocratthanIam。Further，Iamanextravagantwoman，andhewasamillionaire。“
“Andyou，afterhisdeath，withoutnecessity-wenttoburyyourselfinhiscountry。“
“Whynot？“
“Iamjealousofeveryyearofyourlifewhichlieshiddenfromme，“
hesaidslowly。
“Dearme-howuncomfortable！“
“Beforeyou-reappeared，“hesaid，“Ihadlearnt，yesIhadlearnttodowithoutyou。Ihadsealeduptheonechapterofmylifewhichhadinitanythingtodowithsentiment。Yourcominghasalteredallthat。Youhavedisturbedthefocusofmyambitions。
Lucille！Ihavelovedyouformorethanhalfalifetime。Isn’tittimeIhadmyreward？“
Hetookaquicksteptowardsher。Inhistonewastheringofmastery，thelightinhiseyeswascompelling。Sheshrankback，butheseizedoneofherhands。Itlaybetweenhis，acolddeadthing。
“Whathavemypoliticstodowithit？“heaskedfiercely。“YouarenotanEnglishwoman。BecontentthatIshallsetyoufarabovethesegodsofmylaterlife。Thereismyworktobedone，andI
shalldoit。Letmebejudgeofthesethings。Believemethatitisagreatwork。Ifyouareambitious-giveyourambitionsintomykeeping，andIwillgratifythem。OnlyIcannotbearthissuspense-thesechangingmoods。Marryme-nowatonce，orsendmebacktotheoldlife。“
Shedrewherfingersaway，andsankdownintohereasy-chair。Herheadwasburiedinherhands。Wasshethinkingorweeping？Hecouldnotdecide。Whilehehesitatedshelookedup，andhesawthattherewasnotraceoftearsuponherface。
“Youaretoomasterful，“shesaidgently。“Iwillnotmarryyou。
Iwillnotgivemyselfbodyandsoultoanyman。Yetthatiswhatyouask。Iamnotagirl。Myopinionsareasdeartomeintheirwayasyoursaretoyou。Youwantmetoclosemyeyeswhileyoudropsugarplumsintomymouth。Thatisnotmyideaoflife。I
thinkthatyouhadbettergoaway。Letusforgetthesethings。“
“Verywell，“heanswered。“Itshallbeasyousay。“Hedidnotwaitforhertoring，nordidheattemptanysortoffarewell。Hesimplytookuphishat，andbeforeshecouldrealisehisintentionhehadlefttheroom。Lucillesatquitestill，lookingintothefire。
“Ifonly，“shemurmured，“ifonlythisweretheend。“
Dusonenteredthesitting-room，noiselessasever，withpale，passionlessface，theabsoluteprototypeoftheperfectFrenchservant，towhomanyexpressionofvigorouslifeseemstosavourofpresumption。Hecarriedasmallsilversalver，onwhichreposedacard。
“Thegentlemanisintheante-room，sir，“heannounced。
Mr。Sabintookupthecardandstudiedit。
“LordRobertFoulkes。“
“DoIknowthisgentleman，Duson？“Mr。Sabinasked。
“Nottomyknowledge，sir，“themananswered。
“Youmustshowhimin，“Mr。Sabinsaid，withasigh。“Inthiscountryonemustneverberudetoalord。“
Dusonobeyed。LordRobertFoulkeswasasmallyoungman，verycarefullygroomed，nondescriptinappearance。HesmiledpleasantlyatMr。Sabinanddrewoffhisgloves。
“Howdoyoudo，Mr。Sabin？“hesaid。“Don’trememberme，Idaresay。
MetyouonceortwicelasttimeyouwereinLondon。IwishIcouldsaythatIwasgladtoseeyouhereagain。“
Mr。Sabin’sforeheadlostitswrinkle。Heknewwherehewasnow。
“Sitdown，LordRobert，“hebegged。“Idonotrememberyou，itistrue，butIamgettinganoldman。Mymemorysometimesplaysmestrangetricks。“
TheyoungmanlookedatMr。Sabinandlaughedsoftly。Indeed，Mr。Sabinhadverylittletheappearanceofanoldman。Hewasleaningwithbothhandsclaspeduponhisstick，hisfacealert，hiseyesbrightandsearching。