She seemed to accuse him
of a craven shirking of trouble, to demand of him to repair his
cruel havoc in her life by a solemn renewal of zeal. But Roderick's
expectations were the oddest! Such as they were, Rowland asked himself
why he should n't make a bargain with them. "You desire me to go with
you?" he asked.
"If you don't go, I won't--that 's all! How in the world shall I get
through the summer without you?"
"How will you get through it with me? That 's the question."
"I don't pretend to say; the future is a dead blank. But without you it
's not a blank--it 's certain damnation!"
"Mercy, mercy!" murmured Mrs. Hudson.
Rowland made an effort to stand firm, and for a moment succeeded. "If I
go with you, will you try to work?"
Roderick, up to this moment, had been looking as unperturbed as if the
deep agitation of the day before were a thing of the remote past. But at
these words his face changed formidably; he flushed and scowled, and all
his passion returned. "Try to work!" he cried. "Try--try! work--work! In
God's name don't talk that way, or you 'll drive me mad! Do you suppose
I 'm trying not to work? Do you suppose I stand rotting here for the fun
of it? Don't you suppose I would try to work for myself before I tried
for you?"
"Mr.
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