Part 43 (2/2)
”I know.”
”Well!” I said.
”Dear heart,” said Isabel, facing it, ”it's no good waiting for things to overtake us; we're at the parting of the ways.”
”What are we to do?”
”They won't let us go on.”
”d.a.m.n them!”
”They are ORGANISING scandal.”
”It's no good waiting for things to overtake us,” I echoed; ”they have overtaken us.” I turned on her. ”What do you want to do?”
”Everything,” she said. ”Keep you and have our work. Aren't we Mates?”
”We can't.”
”And we can't!”
”I've got to tell Margaret,” I said.
”Margaret!”
”I can't bear the idea of any one else getting in front with it. I've been wincing about Margaret secretly--”
”I know. You'll have to tell her--and make your peace with her.”
She leant back against the bookcases under the window.
”We've had some good times, Master;” she said, with a sigh in her voice.
And then for a long time we stared at one another in silence.
”We haven't much time left,” she said.
”Shall we bolt?” I said.
”And leave all this?” she asked, with her eyes going round the room.
”And that?” And her head indicated Westminster. ”No!”
I said no more of bolting.
”We've got to screw ourselves up to surrender,” she said.
”Something.”
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