“I gave him my word never to tell anybody. But I'm sure he won't mind your knowing, because you're likely to become his brother-in-law before long — you may be it now. Beauty and he are lovers, and that's why she's gone to Spain.”
“Oh, my God!” exclaimed Jesse. And then again: “Oh, my God!” He was speaking English, in which these words carry far more weight than in French.
“I told Robbie about it,” Lanny continued, “because he has a right to know about Beauty. But I didn't tell him about you, because that was your secret. May I tell him now?”
“Evidently he's not going to be happy till he hears it.”
Lanny turned to his father. “I put my friend in touch with Uncle Jesse, and my friend brought money to help him stir up the workers against the blockade. I thought that was a worthy cause and I still think so.”
“You knew you were risking your life?” demanded the shocked father.
“I've seen people risking their lives for so long, it has sort of lost meaning. But you can imagine that I felt pretty uncomfortable this afternoon. Also, you can see what a risk Uncle Jesse took when he walked into that place.”
Robbie made no response. He had poured out the drinks for the red sheep of his former mistress's family, but not an inch farther did he mean to go.
“You see how it was,” continued Lanny. “When my friend stopped coming, Uncle Jesse wanted to know why; he brought me some literature so that this friend might see what he had been doing. He asked me to pass it on if I got a chance, and I said I would. He suggested that I didn't need to read it. I didn't say I wouldn't — I just said that I understood. Uncle Jesse has really been playing fair with you, Robbie. It was my friend and I who planned this whole scheme and brought it to him.”
“I hope you don't feel too proud of it,” said the father, grimly.