Ilikedtofeelherheartyindignationflashoutonmeinthatway。
Weseesomuchmaliceandsolittleindignationinmyprofession。
`Inthatcase，’Isaid，`excusemeifItellyou，inourlegalphrase，thatyouaretravellingoutoftherecord。Whatevertheconsequencesmaybe，SirPercivalhasarighttoexpectthatyoursistershouldcarefullyconsiderherengagementfromeveryreasonablepointofviewbeforesheclaimsherreleasefromit。Ifthatunluckyletterhasprejudicedheragainsthim，goatonce，andtellherthathehasclearedhimselfinyoureyesandinmine。Whatobjectioncansheurgeagainsthimafterthat？Whatexcusecanshepossiblyhaveforchanginghermindaboutamanwhomshehadvirtuallyacceptedforherhusbandmorethantwoyearsago？’
`Intheeyesoflawandreason，MrGilmore，noexcuse，Idaresay。Ifshestillhesitates，andifIstillhesitate，youmustattributeourstrangeconduct，ifyoulike，tocapriceinbothcases，andwemustbeartheimputationaswellaswecan。’
Withthosewordsshesuddenlyroseandleftme。Whenasensiblewomanhasaseriousquestionputtoher，andevadesitbyaflippantanswer，itisasuresign，inninety-ninecasesoutofahundred，thatshehassomethingtoconceal。Ireturnedtotheperusalofthenewspaper，stronglysuspectingthatMissHalcombeandMissFairliehadasecretbetweenthemwhichtheywerekeepingfromSirPercival，andkeepingfromme。Ithoughtthishardonbothofus，especiallyonSirPercival。