Part 12 (1/2)
Bottles, being nervous, was fidgeting round the roo verywith his back to the fire, and staring about hilance lit upon the blue velvet curtains which shut off the rooer saloon that had not been used since Lady Croston's hood, and an idea which had been floating about in his brain suddenly took definite shape and form He was a prompt man, and in another second he had acted up to that idea
”George,” he said in a quick, low voice, ”listen to me, and for Heaven's sake don't interrupt for aLady Croston You know that I think her worthless--no, wait awhat I think You believe in her; you believe that she is in love with you and will ood reason to believe it, have you not?”
Bottles nodded
”Very well Supposing that I can show you within half an hour that she is perfectly ready to marry somebody else--myself, for instance--would you still believe in her?”
Bottles turned pale ”The thing is impossible,” he said
”That is not the question Would you still believe in her, and would you still marry her?”
”Great heavens! no”
”Good Then I tell you what I will do for you, and it will perhaps give you some idea of how deeply I feel in the matter; I will sacrifice myself”
”Sacrifice yourself?”
”Yes Ipropose to Madeline Croston under your nose, and I bet you five pounds she accepts ain ”Besides, if she did you don't want to marry her”
”Marry her! No, indeed _I_ aet out of the scrape as best I can--always supposing my view of the lady is correct”
”Excuse asp, ”but I must ask you--in short, have _you_ ever been on affectionate terms with Madeline?”
”Never, on my honour”
”And yet you think she will marry you if you ask her, even after what took place with me yesterday?”
”Yes, I do”
”Why?”
”Because, ht thousand a year and you have eight hundred--because I have a title and you have none That you may happen to be the better fellow of the till, I fear, not make up for those deficiencies”
Bottles with a motion of his hand waved his brother's courtly compliment away, as it were, and turned on him with a set white face
”I do not believe you, Eustace,” he said ”Do you understand what you make out this lady to be when you say that she could kiss me and tell me that she loved me--for she did both yesterday--and proed his shoulders ”I think that the lady in question has done soo and under pressure Now, Eustace, you have e; you have upset my faith in Madeline, whom I hope to marry, and I say, prove it--prove it if you can I will stake itate yourself, , I would not riskbehind those velvet curtains--_a la_ 'School for Scandal'--and listening in perfect silence to my conversation with Lady Croston She does not know that you are here, so she will not h of it, for there is a door through on to the landing, and as we came up I noticed that it was ajar Or if you like you can appear froe and play whatever _role_ occasion hable side
I should enjoy it io”
Bottles hesitated ”I can't hide,” he said
”Nonsense; remember how much depends on it All is fair in love or war