Part 9 (2/2)
”And I only spoke out as a loyal man should.”
”Loyal?”
”Yes, to his country, sir.”
”Why, my dear Forrester--” began the dismounted man, angrily. ”There, I beg your pardon. I was a little heated. Come in, Forrester. Stay and dine with me, and we can chat matters over coolly.”
”Better not,” said the mounted man, coldly. ”Fred!”
”Yes, father.”
”You were coming home with me?”
”No, father; I was going to stop with Scar for a bit.”
”Humph! Better come home now, my boy. I think Sir G.o.dfrey wishes to talk to his son.”
”I was not going to do anything of the kind, Forrester; but if you are bent upon a division between us, I am not the man to baulk you.”
”Very good, sir, very good. Then be it so.”
”But it seems to me a great pity that two old friends should be divided, and our boys, who have been like brothers, should be separated upon a question about which you must feel, upon calm consideration, that you are wrong.”
”If I felt that I was wrong, Sir G.o.dfrey Markham, I should at once apologise; but I am not wrong.”
”And our boys?”
”It is impossible for our boys to be friends, Sir G.o.dfrey, until you have apologised for what you have said.”
”Apologised, Colonel Forrester! Why, sir, I commend myself for my restraint. If it had been any other man than my oldest friend who had dared to utter such disloyal thoughts against the king, I should have struck him from his horse. Good day, sir, and I pray Heaven to place better thoughts in your mind! Scarlett, my boy.”
”Yes, father.”
”Come here.”
”Mayn't I shake hands with Fred Forrester first?”
”No. Yes. You boys have no quarrel. But it will be better that you should keep at home for the present.”
”Oh, Fred, what's the matter?” whispered Scarlett.
”Don't you know?”
”Ye-es, I'm afraid I do.”
”That's it. I didn't know we were going to have trouble about it down here in Coombeland. But, I say, Scar, we're good friends, aren't we?”
”Yes, of course.”
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