“Until he is n’t as near right as he is on this.”
“Jem,” said the Governor suddenly growing grave, “why is it you’re always pussy-footing when Laurens is in question?”
“I don’t like that word, Martin.”
“Word the question to suit yourself, then.”
“And I don’t like the question. It reminds me that the last time I pussy-footed was on an issue that Laurens met fair and square.”
“And it licked him.”
“There are worse things than being licked.”
“That’s cant,” retorted Embree promptly. “When you’re licked politically, you’re through. You can’t get anything done. Oh, I don’t mean that I’m afraid to fight a losing fight when a big principle is involved. My record shows that, plain enough. But this war is n’t our fight.”
“What’s your view on the war, Mart?”
“It came in the nick of time.”