Place them in a hospital, put them in a jail
in yellow overalls, do what you will, young Jessamy finds young
Jenny. O, have it your own way; I am too old a hand to argue with
young gentlemen who choose to fancy themselves in love; I have too
much experience, thank you. Only, be sure that you appreciate what
you risk: the prison, the dock, the gallows, and the halter--
terribly vulgar circumstances, my young friend; grim, sordid,
earnest; no poetry in that!'
'And there I am warned,' I returned gaily. 'No man could be warned
more finely or with a greater eloquence. And I am of the same
opinion still. Until I have again seen that lady, nothing shall
induce me to quit Great Britain. I have besides--'
And here I came to a full stop. It was upon my tongue to have told
him the story of the drovers, but at the first word of it my voice
died in my throat. There might be a limit to the lawyer's
toleration, I reflected. I had not been so long in Britain
altogether; for the most part of that time I had been by the heels
in limbo in Edinburgh Castle; and already I had confessed to
killing one man with a pair of scissors; and now I was to go on and
plead guilty to having settled another with a holly stick! A wave
of discretion went over me as cold and as deep as the sea.
'In short, sir, this is a matter of feeling,' I concluded, 'and
nothing will prevent my going to Edinburgh.
Pages:
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270