'Something that concerns the happiness of yourself, perhaps—of another person certainly.'
She drooped her eyes now, and her colour deepened and her breath came quickly.
The Dictator went to the point at once.
'I am bad at prefaces,' he said, 'I come to speak to you on behalf of my dear young friend and comrade, Ernest Hamilton.'
'Oh!' She drew herself up and looked almost defiantly at him.
'Yes; he asked me to come and see you.'
'What have I to do with Mr. Hamilton?'
'That you must teach me,' said Ericson, smiling rather sadly, and quoting from 'Hamlet.'
'I can teach you that very quickly—Nothing.'
'But you have not heard what I was going to say.'