"If you had not been married to me when you were," continued Leon, "I solemnly assure you that by this time you would have been where hope could never reach you."
"Well, really," said Edith, "Captain--a--Dudleigh, all this is excessively childish. By such an absurd preamble as this you, of course, must mean something. All this, however, can have no possible effect on me, for the simple reason that I consider it spoken for effect. I hope, therefore, that you will be kind enough to come at once to business, and say precisely what it is that you want of me."
"It is no absurd preamble," said Leon, gloomily. "It is not nonsense, as I could soon show you. There is no human being who has done so much wrong to you and yours as this Wiggins, yet you quietly allow him to be your guardian."
"I?" said Edith. "I allow him? Let me be free, and then you will see how long I allow him."
"I do not allow him any thing. I am simply a prisoner. He is my jailer, and keeps me here."
"With you?" asked Edith--"and what then?"
"Well, if you side with me I will drive him out."
"You seem incapable of understanding," said Edith, "that of the two, you yourself, both by nature and by position, are by far the more abhorrent to me. Side with you! And is this the proposal you have to make?"
"I tell you that you are in no danger from me, and that you are from him."
"Really, as far as danger is concerned, my prospects with Wiggins are far preferable to my prospects with you."
"But you don't know him. He has done terrible things--deeds of horror."
"And you--what have you done? But perhaps I have mistaken you. When you ask me to side with you, you may perhaps mean that I shall be at liberty, and that when you expel Wiggins you will allow me to go also."
At this Leon looked down in evident embarrassment.
"Well--not--yet," he said, slowly. "In time, of course; but it can not all be done just at once, you know."
"Well, there are--a--certain difficulties in the way."
"Then what can I gain by siding with you? Why should I cast off Wiggins, and take a new jailer who has done to me a wrong far more foul and far more intolerable than any that Wiggins ever attempted?"
"But you mistake me. I intend to let you go free, of course--that is, in time."