“She loves Lovelace, I tell you!”

“What of it? She will recover from that.”

“No⁠—I cannot ask her to stay with me⁠—’twould be damnably selfish.”

His Grace appeared exasperated.

“ ’Fore Gad, you are a fool! Ask her! Ask her! Force her! Kick Lovelace from your house and abandon the heroic pose, I beg of you!”

“Do you suppose I want to lose her?” cried Carstares. “ ’Tis because I love her so much that I will not stand in the way of her happiness!”

The Duke flung round and picked up his hat.