‘“The Bible, Shakespere, Confucius, Hi-ti-hi, Kipling, the Q’urân, The Doings of Thomasina” ...’
She tore it up and threw it on the floor, paying no heed to Huxtable. Then she picked up another paper and read it out aloud: “I am in favour of inducing the Colonies to put heavy duties on all foreign goods. This will promote a friendly feeling between England and her dependencies.”
‘That’s rather neat,’ said Lord Glendover.
‘Dull, I call it,’ said Lady Wyse.
‘It’s out of the draft for the new pronouncement,’ said Huxtable.
She took a pencil, and amended it.
‘“I am in favour of inducing the Colonies to put heavy duties on one another’s goods. This will promote a friendly feeling between England and foreign countries.” That’s better, don’t you think, Lord Glendover?’
‘Yes, I think it is,’ said the noble Lord; ‘I like that touch about “foreign countries.”’
Huxtable leaned forward as if about to speak; but sank back and cracked his thumbs. She stood biting her pencil for a little time, and then tore the pronouncement also in pieces, and threw it on the floor. She walked up and down, and stopped in front of Lord Glendover, with folded arms, and with tears standing in her eyes.
‘It is a pitiful, pitiful thing,’ she said; ‘you are all so good, one is obliged to believe in the Devil.’