'Give up Gloria? Never—while grass grows and water runs!'
'Well, then, we need not say any more about that. Tell me, though, where was all this? At Lady Seagraves'?'
'No; it was at Sir Rupert's own house.'
'Oh, yes, I forgot; you were dining there?'
'Yes; I was dining there.'
'This was after dinner?'
'Yes; there were very few men there, and he talked all this to me in a confidential sort of way. Tell me, Excellency, what do you think of his daughter?'
The Dictator almost started. If the question had come out of his own inner consciousness it could not have illustrated more clearly the problem which was perplexing his heart.
'Why, Hamilton, I have not seen very much of her, and I don't profess to be much of a judge of young ladies. Why on earth do you want my opinion? What is your own opinion of her?'
'I think she is very beautiful.'