One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
‘Not with a soul.’
‘Not with a woman?’
‘With no woman.’
‘Nor maid?’
‘No! and no to everything. And an end to the catechism!’
‘It is really a flint that beats here?’ she said, and with a
shyness in adventurousness, she struck the point of her forefinger
on the rib. ‘Fancy me in love with a flint! And running
to be dutiful to a Jacob Blathenoy, at my flint’s command.
I’m half in love with doing what I hate, because this
cold thing here bids me do it. I believe I married for money,
and now it looks as if I were to have my bargain with poverty
to bless it.’
‘There I may help,’ said Dartrey, relieved at sight of a loophole,
to spring to some initiative out of the paralysis cast on
him by a pretty little woman’s rending of her veil. A man of
honour alone with a woman who has tossed concealment to
the winds, is a riddled target indeed: he is tempted to the
peril of cajoleing, that he may escape from the torment and
the ridicule; he is tempted to sigh for the gallant spirit of his
naughty adolescence. ‘Come to me—will you?—apply to me,
if there’s ever any need. I happen to have money. And forgive
me for naming it.’
She groaned: ‘Don’t! I’m, sure, and I thought it from the
first, you’re one of the good men, and the woman who meets
you is lucky, and wretched, and so she ought to be! Only to
you should I! … do believe that! I won’t speak of what excuses
I’ve got. You’ve seen.’
‘Don’t think of them: there’ll be danger in it.
‘Shall you think of me in danger?’
‘Silly, silly! Don’t you see you have to do with a flint! I’ve
gone through fire. And if I were in love with you, I should
start you off to your husband this blessed day.’
‘And you’re not the slightest wee wee bit in love with me!’
‘Perfectly true; but I like you; and if we’re to be hand in
hand, in the time to come, you must walk firm at present.’
‘I’m to go to-day?’
‘You are.’
‘Without again.’
The riddled target kicked. Dartrey contrasted Jacob
Blathenoy with the fair wife, and commiseratingly exonerated
her; he lashed at himself for continuing to be in this
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