Beyond the Rocks

"My dear Crow, I have never heard of your being so thoroughly

unsympathetic before."

"And I have never heard of Hector being really in love before, and with

an angel, too--deuced dangerous folk at the best of times!"

"Then there are mother and Morella Winmarleigh to be counted with."

"Neither of them can see beyond their noses. Miss Winmarleigh is sure of

him, she thinks--and your mother, too."

"No; mother has her doubts."

"They will both be anti?"

"Extremely anti."

"To get back to facts, then, your plan is to assist your brother to see

this 'angel,' and smooth the path to the final catastrophe."

"You worry me, Crow. Why should there be a catastrophe?"

"Is she a young woman?"

"A mere baby. Certainly not more than twenty or so."

"Then it is inevitable, if the husband don't count. You have not

described him yet."

"Because I have never seen him," said Lady Anningford. "Hector did say

last night, though, that he was an impossible Australian millionaire."

"These people have a strong sense of personal rights--they are even

blood-thirsty sometimes, and expect virtue in their women. If he had

been just an English snob, the social bauble might have proved an

immense eye-duster; but when you say Australian it gives me hope. He'll

take her away, or break Hector's head, before things become too

embarrassing."

"Crow, you are brutal."

"And a good thing, too. That is what we all want, a little more

brutality. The whole of the blessed show here is being ruined with this

sickly sentimentality. Flogging done away with; every silly nerve

pandered to. By Jove! the next time we have to fight any country we

shall have an anæsthetic served round with the rations to keep Tommy

Atkins's delicate nerves from suffering from the consciousness of the

slaughter he inflicts upon the enemy."

"Crow, you are violent."

"Yes, I am. I am sick of the whole thing. I would reintroduce

prize-fighting and bear-baiting and gladiatorial shows to brace the

nation up a bit. We'll get jammed full of rotten vices like those

beastly foreigners soon."

"I did not bring you into Regent's Park to hear a tirade upon the

nation's needs, Crow," Anne reminded him, smiling, "but to get your

sympathy and advice upon this affair of Hector. You know you are the

only person in the world I ever talk to about intimate things."