Grahamelookedathiminwonder，andBrottfacedhimsturdily。
“Itseemsliketreasontoyou，Grahame！“hesaid。“Soitdoestomenow。Iwantnothinginthefuturetocomebetweenus，“hecontinuedmoreslowly，“andIshouldlikeifIcantoexpungethememoryofthisinterview。AndsoIamgoingtotellyouthetruth。“
Grahameheldouthishand。
“Don’t！“hesaid。“Icanforgetwithout。“
I3rottshookhishead。
“No，“hesaid。“Youhadbetterunderstandeverything。Thehalfpennypresstoldthetruth。Yetonlyhalfthetruth。Ihavebeentoalltheseplaces，wastedmytime，wastedtheirtime，fromapurelyselfishreason-tobeneartheonlywomanIhaveevercaredfor，thewoman，Grahame！“
“Iknewit，“Grahamemurmured。“Ifoughtagainstthebelief，I
thoughtthatIhadstifledit。ButIknewitallthetime。“
“IfIhaveseemedlukewarmsometimesoflate，“Brottsaid，“thereisthecause。Sheisanaristocrat，andmypoliticsarehatefultoher。Shehastoldmesoseriously，playfully，angrily。Shehasletmefeelitinahundredways。Shehasdrawnmeintodiscussionsandshowntheutmosthorrorofmyviews。Ihavecaredforherallmylife，andsheknowsit。AndIthink，Grahame，thatlatelyshehasbeentryingconstantly，persistently，totonedownmyopinions。Shehasletmeunderstandthattheyareabarbetweenus。Anditisahorribleconfession，Grahame，butIbelievethatIwaswavering。ThisinvitationfromLetheringhamseemedsuchawonderfulopportunityforcompromise。“
“Thismustnevergooutoftheroom，“Grahamesaidhoarsely。“Itwouldruinyourpopularity。Theywouldnevertrustyouagain。
“Ishalltellnooneelse，“Brottsaid。
“Anditisover？“Grahamedemandedeagerly。
“Itisover。“
TheDukeofDorset，whoentertainedforhisparty，gaveagreatdinnerthatnightatDorsetHouse，andtowardsitsclosethePrinceofSaxeLeinitzer，whowasalmosttheonlynon-politicalguest，moveduptohishostinresponsetoaneagersummons。TheDukewasperturbed。
“Youhaveheardthenews，SaxeLeinitzer？“
“Ididnotknowofanynews，“thePrinceanswered。“Whatisit？“
“BrotthasrefusedtojoinwithLetheringhaminformingaministry。
Itisrumouredeventhatacoalitionwasproposed，andthatBrottwouldhavenothingtodowithit。“
ThePrincelookedintohiswineglass。
“Ah！“hesaid。
“Thisisdisturbingnews，“theDukecontinued。Youdonotseemtoappreciateitssignificance。“
ThePrincelookedupagain。
“Perhapsnot，“hesaid。“Youshallexplaintome。“
“Brottrefusestocompromise，“theDukesaid。“Hestandsforaministryofhisownselection。Heavenonlyknowswhatmischiefthismaymean。Hisdoctrinesarethoroughlyrevolutionary。Heisaniconoclastwithageniusfordestruction。Buthehastheearofthepeople。Heisto-daytheirRienzi。“
ThePrincenodded。
“AndLucille？“heremarked。“Whatdoesshesay？“
“Ihavenotspokentoher，“theDukeanswered。“Thenewshasonlyjustcome。“
“Wewillspeaktoher，“thePrincesaid，“together。“
Afterwardsinthelibrarytherewasasortofinformalmeeting，andtheiropportunitycame。
“Soyouhavefailed，Countess，“herhostsaid，knittinghisgreybrowsather。
Shesmilinglyacknowledgeddefeat。
“ButIcanassureyou，“shesaid，“thatIwasverynearsuccess。
OnlyonMondayhehadvirtuallymadeuphismindtoabandontheextremepartyandcastinhislotwithLetheringham。WhathashappenedtochangehimIdonotknow。“
ThePrincecurledhisfairmoustache。
“Itisapity，“hesaid，“thathechangedhismind。Foronethingisverycertain。TheDukeandIareagreeduponit。ABrottministrymustneverbeformed。“
Shelookedupquickly。
“Whatdoyoumean？“
ThePrinceansweredherwithouthesitation。
“Ifonecoursefails，“hesaid，“anothermustbeadopted。Iregrethavingtomakeuseofmeanswhicharesomewhatclumsyandobvious。
Butourpronouncementonthisonepointisfinal。Brottmustnotbeallowedtoformaministry。“
Shelookedathimwithsomethinglikehorrorinhersoftfulleyes。
“Whatwouldyoudo？“shemurmured。
ThePrinceshruggedhisshoulders。
“Well，“hesaid，“wearenotquitemedievalenoughtoadopttheonlyreallysensiblemethodandremoveMr。Brottpermanentlyfromthefaceoftheearth。Weshouldstopalittleshortofthat，butIcanassureyouthatMr。Brott’shealthforthenextfewmonthsisamatterforgraveuncertainty。Itisapityforhissakethatyoufailed。“
Shebitherlip。
“DoyouknowifheisstillinLondon？“sheasked。
“HemustbeonthepointofleavingforScotland，“theDukeanswered。
“IfheoncemountstheplatformatGlasgowtherewillbenofurtherchanceofanycompromise。Hewillbecommittedirretrievablytohiscampaignofanarchy。“
“Andtohisowndisaster，“thePrincemurmured。
Lucilleremainedforamomentdeepinthought。Thenshelookedup。
“IfIcanfindhimbeforehestarts，“shesaidhurriedly，“Iwillmakeonelasteffort。“
Hepeeredforwardoverhisdeskatthetallgracefulfigurewhoseentrancehadbeensonoiseless，andwhosefootstepshadbeensolightthatshestoodalmostwithinafewfeetofhimbeforehewasevenawareofherpresence。Thenhissurprisewassogreatthathecouldonlygaspouthername。
“You！Lucille！“
Shesmileduponhimdelightfully。
“Me！Lucille！Don’tblameyourservant。IassuredhimthatIwasexpected，soheallowedmetoenterunannounced。Hisastonishmentwasadelightfultestimonytoyourreputation，bythebye。Hewasevidentlynotusedtotheseinvasions。“
Brotthadrecoveredhimselfbythistime，andifanyemotionstillremainedhewasmasterofit。
“Youmustforgivemysurprise！“hesaid。“Youhaveofcoursesomethingimportanttosaytome。Willyounotloosenyourcloak？“
Sheunfastenedtheclaspandseatedherselfinhismostcomfortablechair。Thefirelightflashedandglitteredonthesilverornamentsofherdress；herneckandarms，withtheirburdenofjewels，gleamedlikeporcelaininthesemi-darknessoutsidethehaloofhisstudentlamp。Andhesawthatherdarkhairhunglowbehindingracefulfoldsashehadonceadmiredit。Hestoodalittleapart，andshenotedhistravelingclothesandthevarioussignsofajourneyabouttheroom。
“Youmaybegladtoseeme，“sheremarked，lookingathimwithasmile。“Youdon’tlookit。“
“Iamanxioustohearyournews，“heanswered。“Iamconvincedthatyouhavesomethingimportanttosaytome。“
“Supposing，“sheanswered，stilllookingathimsteadily，“supposingIweretosaythatIhadnoobjectincominghereatall-thatitwasmerelyawhim？Whatshouldyousaythen？“
“Ishouldtaketheliberty，“heansweredquietly，“ofdoubtingtheevidenceofmysenses。“
Therewasamoment’ssilence。Shefelthisaloofness。Itawokeinhersomeoftheenthusiasmwithwhichthismissionitselfhadfailedtoinspireher。Thismanwasmeasuringhisstrengthagainsthers。
“Itwasnotaltogetherawhim，“shesaid，hereyesfallingfromhis，“andyet-nowIamhere-itdoesnotseemeasytosaywhatwasinmymind。“
Heglancedtowardstheclock。
“Ifear，“hesaid，“thatitmaysoundungallant，butincasethissomewhatmysteriousmissionofyoursisofanyimportanceIhadbetterperhapstellyouthatintwentyminutesImustleavetocatchtheScotchmail。“
Sheroseatoncetoherfeet，andswepthercloakhaughtilyaroundher。
“Ihavemadeamistake，“shesaid。“Besogoodastopardonmyintrusion。Ishallnottroubleyouagain。“
Shewashalf-wayacrosstheroom。Shewasatthedoor，herhandwasuponthehandle。Hewaswhitetothelips，hiswholeframewasshakingwiththeeffortofintenserepression。Hekeptsilence，tillonlyaflutterofhercloakwastobeseeninthedoorway。
Andthenthecrywhichhehadtriedsohardtostiflebrokefromhislips。
“Lucille！Lucille！“
Shehesitated，andcameback-lookingathim，sohethought，withtremblinglipsandeyessoftwithunshedtears。
“Iwasabrute，“hemurmured。“Ioughttobegratefulforthischanceofseeingyouoncemore，ofsayinggood-byetoyou。“
“Good-bye！“sherepeated。
“Yes，“hesaidgravely。“Itmustbegood-bye。Ihaveagreatworkbeforeme，anditwillcutmeoffcompletelyfromallassociationwithyourworldandyourfriends。Somethingwideranddeeperthananoceanwilldivideus。Somethingsowidethatourhandswillneverreachacross。“
“Youcantalkaboutitverycalmly，“shesaid，withoutlookingathim。
“Ihavebeendiscipliningmyself，“heanswered。
Sherestedherfaceuponherhand，andlookedintothefire。
“Isuppose，“shesaid，“thismeansthatyouhaverefusedMr。
Letheringham’soffer。“
“Ihaverefusedit，“heanswered。
“Iamsorry，“shesaidsimply。
Sherosefromherchairwithasuddenstart，begantodrawonhercloak，andthenletitfallaltogetherfromhershoulders。
“Whydoyoudothis？“sheaskedearnestly。“Isitthatyouaresoambitious？Youusednottobeso-intheolddays。
Helaughedbitterly。
“Youtoo，then，“hesaid，“canremember。Ambitious！Well，whynot？
TobePremierofEngland，tostandforthepeople，tocarrythroughtoitslogicalconsummationabloodlessrevolution，surelythisisworthwhile。Isthereanythingintheworldbetterworthhavingthanpower？“
“Yes，“sheanswered，lookinghimfullintheeyes。
“Whatisitthen？Letmeknowbeforeitistoolate。“
“Love！“
Hethrewhisarmsabouther。Foramomentshewaspowerlessinhisgrasp。
“Sobeitthen，“hecriedfiercely。“Givemetheone，andIwilldenytheother。Onlynohalfmeasures！Iwilldrinktothebottomofthecupornotatall。“
Sheshookherselffreefromhim，breathless，consumedwithanangertowhichshedarednotgivevoice。Foramomentortwoshewasspeechless。Herbosomroseandfell，abrightstreakofcolourflaredinhercheeks。Brottstoodawayfromher，whiteandstern。
“You-areclumsy！“shesaid。“Youfrightenme！“
Herwordscarriednoconviction。Helookedatherwithanewsuspicion。
“Youtalklikeachild，“heansweredroughly，“orelseyourwholeconductisafraud。FormonthsIhavebeenyourslave。Ihaveabandonedmyprinciples，givenyoumytime，followedatyourheelslikeatamedog。Andforwhat？Youwillnotmarryme，youwillnotcommityourselftoanything。Youareapastmistressintheartofbindingfoolstoyourchariotwheels。YouknowthatIloveyou-thattherebreathesonthisearthnootherwomanformebutyou。Ihavetoldyouthisinallsavewordsahundredtimes。Andnow-nowitismyturn。Ihavebeenplayedwithlongenough。Youarehereunbidden-unexpected。Youcanconsiderthatdoorlocked。
Nowtellmewhyyoucame。“
