"I thought as much."
"But I'm not going back on my word. If I've made a mistake, I must suffer for it; and if Miss Fitzgerald accepts my proposal, which she now has under consideration, I shall live up to my part of the agreement; and if I can prevent it, she shall never suspect that I would have matters otherwise. If she should refuse me, however——"
"You'd make a fool of yourself just the same," continued Kent-Lauriston, "by jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire, and marrying Madame Darcy the instant she obtained her divorce."
"Kent-Lauriston," Stanley exclaimed, "you know a d——d sight too much!"
The Englishman laughed softly, and then resumed the thread of his discourse.
"Now that I understand your position——" he began.
"Do you understand it?"
"Better than you do yourself, I fancy; let me see if I can state it. You've proposed to Miss Fitzgerald, and she has taken the question of marrying you into consideration; since which time you have come to the conclusion, for reasons which we will not specify out of consideration for your feelings, that, if she refuses, or could be induced to refuse you, you'd accept the decision without an appeal. Am I correct?"
The Secretary nodded gloomily.
"Under the circumstances, do you give me permission to do what I can to effect your release?"