BART. He has, Miss Templeton; but he has left an advocate to intercede with you on his behalf.
JULIA (satirically). A willing and an earnest one, no doubt, who probably has already furnished him with a detailed catalogue of my tastes, habits, pursuits, disposition—
BART. (aside). He’s been blabbing! (Aloud.) Surely he cannot have betrayed my confidence?
JULIA (with suppressed anger). The charge of “betrayal of confidence” should rather be levelled at one who by his intimacy with a family, into which he is admitted on terms of friendship, is enabled to study the characters of its members for the purpose of retailing the result of his observations to others!
BART. I will not affect to misunderstand your reproof. It is true that I spoke of you to Mr. Royston in terms which you fully merit—that I even told him your heart was free.
JULIA. Perfectly, absolutely free! You undertook to be his advocate with such zeal, such earnestness, one might almost imagine you had some personal interest.
BART. And what if I had an interest—a powerful interest?
JULIA (quickly). Indeed?
BART. Yes. And after the somewhat harsh rejection I met with at your hands—which, no doubt, I fully merited—what greater proof can I give of the esteem in which I still hold you than to confide my secret to you?