He would have had to
look after her and he would have done it well. Captain Anthony is a
proper man. And it would have saved him from the most foolish--"
He did not finish the phrase which certainly was turning bitter in his
mouth. Mr. Powell thought to himself: "There he goes again." He laughed
a little.
"I don't understand why you are so hard on the captain, Mr. Franklin. I
thought you were a great friend of his."
Mr. Franklin exclaimed at this. He was not hard on the captain. Nothing
was further from his thoughts. Friend! Of course he was a good friend
and a faithful servant. He begged Powell to understand that if Captain
Anthony chose to strike a bargain with Old Nick to-morrow, and Old Nick
were good to the captain, he (Franklin) would find it in his heart to
love Old Nick for the captain's sake. That was so. On the other hand,
if a saint, an angel with white wings came along and--"
He broke off short again as if his own vehemence had frightened him. Then
in his strained pathetic voice (which he had never raised) he observed
that it was no use talking.
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