“I’ve been preparing for this moment for a quarter of a year.”
“What is this Stukeley? He seems a boorish kind of fellow.”
“He’s an unpleasant man. A bad man.”
“I should call him a thorough scoundrel, from that letter.”
“He’s married to a charming woman. A woman I’ve known for years. You can see for yourself that she’s a lot too good for him.”
“Do you wish him to be arrested? You know the penalty, of course?”
“I suppose I could plead ignorance?”
“You? Yes. But he. Sus. per col. Eh?”
“I think, Howard, he ought to be cut off. But his wife’s going to have a child. I happen to know her, as I said. She believes in him. She doesn’t suspect. I’m afraid the shock would kill both her and the child.”
“You’d rather that I didn’t arrest?”