"And do you mean to say that Mr. Finn is,--is,--is,--very good?"
"Yes, indeed. You ask Lord Brentford, and Mr. Kennedy. You know he
saved poor Mr. Kennedy from being throttled in the streets."
"That has nothing to do with it. A policeman might have done that."
"Then he would have been A 1 of policemen,--though A 1 does not mean
a policeman."
"He would have done his duty, and so perhaps did Mr. Finn."
"Of course he did, aunt. It couldn't have been his duty to stand
by and see Mr. Kennedy throttled. And he nearly killed one of the
men, and took the other prisoner with his own hands. And he made a
beautiful speech the other day. I read every word of it. I am so glad
he's a Liberal. I do like young men to be Liberals." Now Lord Baldock
was a Tory, as had been all the Lord Baldocks,--since the first who
had been bought over from the Whigs in the time of George III at the
cost of a barony.
"You have nothing to do with politics, Violet."
"Why shouldn't I have something to do with politics, aunt?"
"And I must tell you that your name is being very unpleasantly
mentioned in connection with that of this young man because of your
indiscretion."
"What indiscretion?" Violet, as she made her demand for a more direct
accusation, stood quite upright before her aunt, looking the old
woman full in the face,--almost with her arms akimbo.
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