"How do you justify such a frightful statement as that, ma'am?"
"Why, what could it matter to you?"
"Every thing."
"I do not understand. You have no interest in me. You could have no inducement."
"On the contrary, I had the strongest inducement: I saw that an opportunity might come of serving you."
"But that is just the unintelligible thing to me. There is no reason why you should wish to serve me!" said Juliet, thinking to get at the bottom of some design.
"There you mistake, ma'am. I am under the most absolute and imperative obligation to serve you—the greatest under which any being can find himself."
"What a ridiculous, crooked little monster!" said Juliet to herself. But she began the same moment to think whether she might not turn the creature's devotion to good account. She might at all events insure his silence.
"Would you be kind enough to explain yourself?" she said, now also interested in the continuance of the conversation.
"I would at once," replied Polwarth, "had I sufficient ground for hoping you would understand my explanation."