Hylda looked at her
sharply, and Lord Windlehurst slyly, but the Duchess seemed oblivious of
having said anything out of the way, and added: "It's a gift seeing all
that can be said for a bad cause, and saying it, and so making the other
side make their case so strong that the verdict has to be just."
"Dear Duchess, it doesn't always work out that way," rejoined Windlehurst
with a dry laugh. "Sometimes the devil's advocate wins."
"You are not very complimentary to my husband," retorted Hylda, looking
him in the eyes, for she was not always sure when he was trying to baffle
her.
"I'm not so sure of that. He hasn't won his case yet. He has only staved
off the great attack. It's coming--soon."
"What is the great attack? What has the Government, or the Foreign
Office, done or left undone?"
"Well, my dear--" Suddenly Lord Windlehurst remembered himself, stopped,
put up his eyeglass, and with great interest seemed to watch a gay group
of people opposite; for the subject of attack was Egypt and the
Government's conduct in not helping David, in view not alone of his
present danger, but of the position of England in the country, on which
depended the security of her highway to the East.
Pages:
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657