Part 40 (1/2)
”What can they do--a.s.sa.s.sinate me?”
”Ah! who knows?”
”That would be too childish: I have sown my seed in Time, and it will grow: two thousand little lords could hardly obliterate the ploughing of my wrist. But you know this?”
”Richard, my father is of them”.
”Ha!--I forgive him: his daughter seems to be on the other side--”
”Richard, you would not touch my hand? Ah, my friend, I warn you--!
Now--you have agitated--I have been ill--my father is of them. And who is one of the closest a.s.sociates of my father--?”
”Who?”
”The person known as Admiral Donald, whom _I_ know very well to be Monsignor O'Hara. I think you might have been more--recondite--in your choice of an admiral, Richard!”
”Ah?--you surprise me”.
”But why? You once sent that man to me as a notebearer: certainly, a singular selection. You must have known that he had been a convict--”
”I thought him innocent then!”
”But you know now--?”
”Yes”.
”And is it not extraordinary that your ensign bears my initials, while this man is one of your commanders?”
”I confess that I do not see the point--”
”Then you cannot know, I suppose, that it was against _me_ that his offence was directed”.
Hogarth's left lid lowered....
”But my complaint is of the present: are you not aware of the scandal which the _Mahomet_ is now creating in the world?”
”Scandal?”
”Thrice lately whispers have reached me of unnameable iniquities perpetrated there--Alexandria of the sixth century, Rome of the second!
I believe the rumour is widely spread in London--no woman of the world now lands on the _Mahomet_”.
”It was _you_ whom he a.s.saulted...” Hogarth laughed and was pale at once.
”Yes, but observe that I must go now, my friend. I have spoken of the things which I had in my mind: there remains--my father”.
”He shall go with you”.
”I thank you, my Lord King; that must be in an hour: so I say, Richard, good-bye”.
”I do not suppose you can dream how dark--” he went woefully.