“What!” she cried. “You don’t mean that you are going to fetch them to the Court!”
“Oh yes, the law is quite clear on that point,” he answered. “And as the law makes me the executive officer, I have really no will in the matter.”
“You seem to have more will than anybody else I’ve come across yet,” she said. “You should hear Monkey!”
“Of course,” he said in his pedantic way, “what I state is a purpose and not a prediction. I cannot answer for what anyone else will do or will succeed in doing. But they will come here or I shall not come.”
His meticulous phraseology suddenly thrilled through her thoughts as she understood what he meant.
“You mean there will be fighting,” she said.
“There certainly will be on our side if there is on theirs,” he answered.
“You are the only man in this house,” cried Rosamund and found herself suddenly trembling from head to foot.
It seemed as if his stiff attitude was staggered so that he lost control of himself quite unexpectedly. He uttered a sort of cry.
“You must not say that to me; I am weak; and weakest of all now, when I should try to be strong.”