He rose as he spoke, drew up his little figure to its utmost height in his excitement, and pushed back his light hair from his small, insignificant face. A face that betrayed not too much strength of any sort, physical, moral, or intellectual; but a good-natured face withal. Charlotte retained unbroken calmness.
“Rodolf, I don’t think it would do,” she said, with an air of candid reasoning. “I have thought it over and over, and that’s why I have put you off. It is not well that we should all be so closely connected together. Better get new ties, that will shelter us, in case a—a——”
“A what?” asked Rodolf Pain, his eyes strained on Charlotte through their very light lashes.
“In case a smash comes. That—if we are all in the same boat—would ruin the lot. Better that you and I should form other connections.”
“You are talking great nonsense,” he angrily said. “A smash!—to us! Can’t you trust Verrall better than that?”
“Why, you say that, even at this present moment——”
“You are wrong, Charlotte,” he vehemently interrupted; “you entirely misunderstand me. Things go wrong in business temporarily; they must do so in business of all sorts; but they right themselves again. Why! do you know what Verrall made last year?”
“A great deal.”
“My little petty share was two thousand pounds: and that is as a drop of water to the ocean compared with his. What has put you upon these foolish fancies?”
“Prudence,” returned Charlotte.