Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Dynamiter

130 NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS.
of you, for this engaging frankness. And in the mean-
while, what are you to do ? You find yourself, if I
interpret rightly, in very much the same situation as
Charles the Second (possibly the least degraded of your
British sovereigns) when he was taken into the con-
fidence of the thief. To denounce me, is out of the
question ; and what else can you attempt ? No, dear
Mr. Somerset, your hands are tied ; and you find your-
self condemnedj imder pain of behaving like a cad, to be
that same charming and intellectual companion who
delighted me last night.'
' At least,' cried Somerset, ' I can, and do, order you
to leave this house.'
' Ah ! ' cried the plotter, ' but there I fail to follow
you. You may, if you please, enact the part of Judas ;
but if, as I suppose, you recoil from that extremity of
meanness, I am, on my side, far too intelligent to leave
these lodgings, in which I please myself exceedingly, and
from which you lack the power to drive me. No, no,
dear sir ; here I am, and here I propose to stay.'
' I repeat,' cried Somerset, beside himself with a
sense of his own weakness, ' I repeat that I give you
warning. I am the master of this house ; and I em-
phatically give you warning.'
' A week's warning 1 ' said the imperturbable con-
spirator. ' Yery well : we will talk of it a week from
now. That is arranged ; and in the meanwhile, I
observe my breakfast growing cold. Do, dear Mr.
Somerset, since you find yourself condemned, for a week
at least, to the society of a very interesting character,
display some of that open favour, some of that interest
in life's obscurer sides, which stamp the character of the
true artist. Hang me, if you will, to-morrow ; but to-
day show yourself divested of the scruples of the burgess,
and sit down pleasantly to share my meal.'
' Man ! ' cried Somerset, ' do you understand my
sentiments ? '
' Certainly,' replied Zero ; ' and I respect them !
Would you be outdone in such a contest ? will you
alone be partial ? and in this nineteenth century, can-