"I am Dot to be bribed to act against my conscience," he said at
length.
Mrs. Wade heard this with pleasure. The blunt, half-blustering
declaration assured her that Northway's "conscience" was on the
point of surrender.
"Now, let me tell you what I should like to do," she continued,
bending towards him. "Will you allow me to go at once and see Mr.
Quarrier?"
"And tell him?"
"Yes, let him know what has happened. I quite understand," she
added, caressingly, "how very painful it would be for you to go
directly to him. Will you allow me to be your intermediary? That you
and he must meet is quite certain; may I smooth away the worst
difficulties? I could explain to him your character, your natural
delicacy, your conscientiousness. I could make him understand that
he has to meet a person quite on his own level--an educated man of
honourable feeling. After that, an interview between you would be
comparatively easy. I should be really grateful to you if you would
allow me to do you this service."
Northway was like clay in her hands. Every word had precisely the
effect on which she calculated. His forehead unwrinkled itself, his
lips hung loose like the mouth of a dog that is fondled, he tried
not to smile. Though he thought himself as far as ever from
renouncing Lilian, he began to like the idea of facing Quarrier--
of exhibiting his natural delicacy, conscientiousness, and so on.
Pages:
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284