is own, calmly admitting the possibility of the outrage,
instead of scorning the bare idea of it with violence.

"I think you're making a ghastly mistake, Frank," he said with a composure
that was intended to be extremely ominous.

Jervaise clutched at the interruption, probably to give himself a little
more time. The women were proving so unamenable to his excellent
reasoning. One simply contradicted him, and the other refused to speak.
"What's a mistake, Ronnie?" he asked.

"Listening to them at all," Turnbull said, with a preposterous attempt to
be dignified. He would not look at Brenda as he continued, but he was
certainly aware that she had turned towards him when he spoke, and the
consciousness that she was watching him steadily increased his
embarrassment. "It's perfectly absurd, I mean, to talk as if you and your
people would allow the thing to go on--under any circumstances--perfect
rot! Why can't you say at once that it's got to stop--absolutely,
and--Good Lord!--I don't care what any one thinks--if I were in your place
I'd jolly well sling Banks off the premises--I tell you I would--" he
got to his feet, his vehemence was increasing, as if he would shout down
Brenda's silent disdain--"I'd confoundedly well kick him out of the
county..." He looked almost equal to the task as he stood there roaring
like a young bull-calf; but although he could have given his rival a good
three stone in weight there was, I fancy, a difference in the quality of
their muscles that might have left the final advantage with Banks in a
rough-and-tumble engagement.

But despite, or perhaps on account of his complete ineptitude, I had a
feeling of sympathy for Turnbull. It must have been very exasperating for
him to stand there, roaring out his sincerest convictions and to be
received by every one of us with a forbearing contempt.

Even Brenda expressed something of pity for him.

"My dear Ronnie, don't be absolutely idiotic," she said, forbearingly, but
rather as though she warned him that he had said quite enough.

He breathed heavily, resentfully, but still declined to look at her. "Of
course if you'd sooner I went away altogether..." he remarked.

"I don't see that you can help us by staying," Brenda said.

"I mean for good," he explained tragically.

I heard afterwards that he had been in love with Brenda since she was nine
years old, but I might have inferred the fact from his present attitude.
He simply could not believ