"You think," she said, "I'd no business to find out?"
"Your knowledge would certainly have been mysterious," said the Secretary; "unless at least two confidences had been betrayed. Supposing there had been any secret policy."
"Well, you see, I don't know it; and I didn't invent it; and I didn't find it out--precisely. Your secret policy is the logical conclusion of your present policy. I deduced it; that's all. Anybody could have done the same. Does that satisfy you? (They won't love me any better for making them look fools!)"
"Thank you," said Miss Gilchrist. "We only wanted to be sure."
The dinner-bell rang as Dorothy was defining her position.
"I'll work for you; I'll speak for you; I'll write for you; I'll fight for you. I'll make hay of every Government meeting, if I can get in without lying and sneaking for it. I'll go to prison for you, if I can choose my own crime. But I won't give up my liberty of speech and thought and action. I won't pledge myself to obey your orders. I won't pledge myself not to criticize policy I disapprove of. I won't come on your Committee, and I won't join your Union. Is that clear and precise enough?"
Somebody clapped and somebody said, "Hear, Hear!" And somebody said, "Go it, Dorothy!"
It was Anthony and Frances and Captain Drayton, who paused outside the door on their way to the dining-room, and listened, basely.
They were all going now. Dorothy stood at the door, holding it open for them, glad that it was all over.