"
"She may not be quite as much in the dark," said Meldon, "as she
pretends when she's talking to you. The subject would naturally be an
awkward one for her to discuss. It's awkward enough for us. I think
we'd better drop it at once."
"I suppose," said the judge boldly, "that your friend thought he'd have
a better chance if I were not here to interfere with him."
"I don't like that way of putting the case," said Meldon. "Why not say
that Miss King would have had a better chance?"
"Considering that Miss King is my niece," said the judge, "you will
understand that I rather object to your way of putting it. It's
scarcely respectful to her. Whatever the facts may be in any
particular case, there's a well-established convention in these
matters. We don't, any of us, talk as if it were the lady who is, so
to speak, the aggressor."
"I see your point, though in this particular case I can't help
feeling-- But why should we go on? It's far better to drop the
subject."
"But I don't see yet why you first of all wanted to keep me out of
Ballymoy, and then suddenly changed your mind. What happened in the
interval?"
"If you're quite determined to thrash the matter out," said Meldon,
"the best way will be to get at the main point at once.
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