"My--dear--Beverley," said he at last, "are you--serious?"
"My dear Viscount--of course I am."
"Then let me warn you, such views will never do here: any one
holding such views will never succeed in London."
"Yet I mean to try," said Barnabas, squaring his jaw.
"But why," said the Viscount, impatiently, "why trouble yourself
about such a fellow?"
"Because She loves him, and because She asked me to help him."
"She asked--you to?"
"Yes."
"And--do you think you can?"
"I shall try."
"How?"
"First, by freeing him from debt."
"Do you know him--have you ever met him?"
"No, Dick, but I love his sister."
"And because of this, you'd shoulder his debts? Ah, but you can't,
and if you ask me why, I tell you, because Jasper Gaunt has got him,
and means to keep him. To my knowledge Barrymaine has twice had
the money to liquidate his debt--but Gaunt has put him off, on one
pretext or another, until the money has all slipped away. I tell you,
Bev, Jasper Gaunt has got him in his clutches--as he's got Sling,
and poor George Danby, and--God knows how many more--as he'd get me
if he could, damn him! Yes, Gaunt has got his claws into him, and
he'll never let him go again--never.
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