In this case it was not observed to be so. But now
Mr. Anderson was sure of his fate, so that there was no encouragement to
him to make any attempt at holding up his head. "I have come once more
to see you," he said.
"I am sure it gives mamma so much pleasure."
"Mrs. Mountjoy is very kind. But it hasn't been for her. The truth is, I
couldn't settle down in this world without having another interview."
"What am I to say, Mr. Anderson?"
"I'll just tell you how it all is. You know what my prospects are." She
did not quite remember, but she bowed to him. "You must know, because I
told you. There is nothing I kept concealed." Again she bowed. "There
can be no possible family reason for my going to Kamtchatka."
"Kamtchatka!"
"Yes, indeed;--the F.O." (The F.O. always meant the Foreign Office.) "The
F.O. wants a young man on whom it can thoroughly depend to go to
Kamtchatka. The allowances are handsome enough, but the allowances are
nothing to me."
"Why should you go?"
"It is for you to decide. Yes, you can detain me. If I go to that bleak
and barren desert, it will merely be to court exile from that quarter of
the globe in which you and I would have to live together and not
separate. That I cannot stand.
Pages:
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882