"He did persist--for three hours. But when he left
here just now he had given me his word to accept."
Shackwell groaned. "Then I am dealing with two madmen instead of
one."
The Governor laughed. "My poor Hadley, you're worse than I expected.
I thought you would understand me."
"Understand you? How can I, in heaven's name, when I don't
understand the situation?
"The situation--the situation?" Mornway repeated slowly. "Whose? His
or mine? I don't either--I haven't had time to think of them."
"What on earth have you been thinking of then?"
The Governor rose, with a gesture toward the window, through which,
below the slope of the Capitol grounds, the roofs and steeples of
the city spread their smoky mass to the mild air.
"Of all that is left," he said. "Of everything except Fleetwood and
myself."
"Ah--" Shackwell murmured.
Mornway turned back and sank into his seat. "Don't you see that was
all I had to turn to? The State--the country--it's big enough, in
all conscience, to fill a good deal of a void! My own walls had
grown too cramped for me, so I just stepped outside.
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333