“I have asked him a question. I shall wait for his answer.”
“I will answer it, Miss Clinton, by saying it was necessary,” said he steadily. “There are other distinguished men here who are further distinguishing themselves by toeing the mark without complaint or cavil. Mr. Landover was appealed to on three distinct occasions by Captain Trigger and the committee. He ignored all private appeals—and commands. The time had come for a show-down. It was either Landover and his little band of sycophants, or me and the entire company of men on this ship. It may interest you to know that you and Mrs. Spofford are the only two people on board, outside of Mr. Landover's retrievers, who blame me for what I did this morning.”
“You can hardly expect me to be interested in what other people think of my position, Mr. Percival,” she said, raising her eyebrows slightly.
“No more, I dare say, than Landover cares what they think of his,” was his retort.
She lifted her chin. “I am beginning to appreciate Mr. Landover's attitude toward you, Mr. Percival,” she said icily.
“And to justify it, I suppose,” he said dejectedly. “I want your friendship, Miss Clinton,—yes, I want a great deal more than your friendship. You may as well know it. I'm not asking for it,—I'm just telling you. Please don't go away. I promise not to make myself ridiculous. You have been good to me, you have been wonderful. I—I can't bear the thought of losing your friendship or your respect. I just had to bring Landover to time. You may think there was some other way, but I do not. At any rate, it isn't a matter that we can discuss. Some day you may admit that I was right, but I don't believe I will ever see the day when I will admit that I was wrong. Won't—can't we be friends?”
“I do not believe I can ever feel the same toward you after witnessing what I did this morning,” said she, shaking her head. “You deliberately, intentionally degraded Mr. Landover in the presence of others. Was that the act of a gentleman? No! It was the act of an overbearing, arrogant bully who had nothing to fear. You took advantage of your authority and of the fact that he is so rich and powerful that he is practically without a friend or champion. You knew only too well that ninety-nine per cent of the people on board this ship were behind you in your attack on him because he represents capital! You had nothing to fear. No, Mr. Percival, I don't believe we can be friends. I am sorry.”
“You heard what Mr. Landover said to me this morning, Miss Clinton,” said he, paling. “You heard what he called me. Do you believe these things of me?”
She was silent for a moment. “No, I do not,” she replied slowly. “I believe that you are all you have represented yourself to be.”
“Thank you,” he said, with gentle dignity. “I am sorry if I have distressed you this evening. Please don't think too harshly of me when I say that I just had to find out how we stand, you and I. Now that I know, I can only promise not to bother you again, and you may rely on my promises. I never break them. Good-night, Miss Clinton.”