"They do—men of real honour," Mary persisted.
"So that's how great fortunes are made? That's how individuals—to say nothing of nations—rise to wealth and power! And I never knew it," Beaumaroy reflected in a gentle voice. His eye caught Mary's, and she gave a little laugh. "By deciding doubtful cases against themselves! Dear me, yes!"
"I didn't say they rose to greatness and power."
"Then the people who do rise to greatness and power—and the nations—don't they go by right of conquest, Doctor Mary? Don't they decide cases in their own favour?"
"Did you really mean to—to take the money?"
"I'll tell you as near as I can. I meant to do my best for my old man. I meant him to live as long as he could—and to live free, unpersecuted, as happy as he could be made. I meant that, because I loved him—and he loved me. Well, I've lost him; I'm alone in the world." The last words were no appeal to Mary; for the moment he seemed to have forgotten her; he was speaking out of his own heart to himself. Yet the words thereby touched her to a livelier pity; you are very lonely when there is nobody to whom you have affection's right to complain of loneliness.
"But after that—if I saw him to his end in peace—if I brought that off, well, then I rather think that I should have stuck to the money. Yes, I rather think so."
"You've managed to mix things up so!" Mary complained. "Your devotion to Mr. Saffron—for that I could forgive you keeping his secret, and fooling me, and all of us. But then you mix that up with the money!"
"It was mixed up with it. I didn't do the mixing."
"What are you going to do now?" she asked with a sudden curiosity.