As I stood looking at
that, my blood rose to boiling-point! I could have hurrah'd for war
with Russia on that one account alone. That contemptible idiot of a
Czar, sitting there on his ant-hill throne, and bidding Time stand
still!"
He laughed long and loud in scornful wrath.
"The Czar can't help it," remarked Glazzard, smiling calmly, "and
perhaps knows nothing about it. The man is a slave of slaves."
"The more contemptible and criminal, then!" roared Denzil. "If a man
in his position can't rule, he should be kicked out of the back-door
of his palace. I have no objection to an autocrat; I think most
countries need one. I should make a good autocrat myself--a
benevolent despot."
"We live in stirring times," said the other, with a fine curl of the
lips. "Who knows what destiny has in store for you?"
Quarrier burst into good-natured merriment, and thereupon made ready
to set forth.
When they reached the house by Clapham Common, Denzil opened the
door with his latch-key, talked loud whilst he was removing his
overcoat, and then led the way into the sitting-room. Lilian was
there; she rose and laid down a book; her smile of welcome did not
conceal the extreme nervousness from which she was suffering.
Quarrier's genial contempt of ceremony, as he performed the
introduction, allowed it to be seen that he too experienced some
constraint.
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