"The law, the law!" said the fretful, smitten man.
"The law of her nature," said James.
He felt Urquhart's piercing eyes to be upon him and schooled himself to face them and to smile into them. To his surprise he saw them fill with tears.
"You are a good chap," Urquhart said. "I never knew that before." Macartney blew his nose.
No more was said, but the sufferer now allowed him to do what he would. He chafed his hands and arms with brandy; took off his boots and chafed his feet. He succeeded in getting a certain warmth into him, and into himself too. He began to be hopeful.
"I think I shall pull you through," he told him. "You ought to be a pretty hard case. I suppose you don't know how you came to fall so badly."
"Well, I do," Urquhart said.
"Don't tell me if you'd rather not."
"Oh, what does it matter now? It was a whim."
James smiled. "Another whim?"