He looked at me keenly and I remembered the words of Withers which I had heard. Still, I knew nothing against Jevons's morals, and I said they were all right for all I knew.
"Never mind what you know," he answered. "What do you think?"
I said I thought that Jevons had as clean a record as any man I knew.
"You mean," he said, "these things are comparative?"
I said I meant I only wished my morals were as clean. (I went as far as that for Viola—to save her. Besides, there was Jevons to be thought of. I was there to take a fair advantage of him, not an unfair one.)
He took another look at me that seemed to satisfy him, for he said:
"Thank you. That's all I want to know."
We smoked in silence. Presently we went into the drawing-room "for a little music." Victoria played. The Canon and Mildred and Norah sang. Millicent went upstairs to prepare a lecture.
When the music was over Viola and Mildred and Norah and I went into the garden, and very soon Mildred and Norah drifted back into the house again and left me with Viola.
She began at once, "Well—did you make him understand?"
I said I hadn't had much opportunity.