Forgetting to contest the premiss, that all betrayed women are betrayed
by love, Ripton was quite silenced. He, like most young men, had
pondered somewhat on this matter, and was inclined to be sentimental when
be was not hungry. They walked in the moonlight by the railings of the
park. Richard harangued at leisure, while Ripton's teeth chattered.
Chivalry might be dead, but still there was something to do, went the
strain. The lady of the day had not been thrown in the hero's path
without an object, he said; and he was sadly right there. He did not
express the thing clearly; nevertheless Ripton understood him to mean, he
intended to rescue that lady from further transgressions, and show a
certain scorn of the world. That lady, and then other ladies unknown,
were to be rescued. Ripton was to help. He and Ripton were to be the
knights of this enterprise. When appealed to, Ripton acquiesced, and
shivered. Not only were they to be knights, they would have to be
Titans, for the powers of the world, the spurious ruling Social Gods,
would have to be defied and overthrown. And Titan number one flung up
his handsome bold face as if to challenge base Jove on the spot; and
Titan number two strained the upper button of his coat to meet across his
pocket-handkerchief on his chest, and warmed his fingers under his coat-
tails. The moon had fallen from her high seat and was in the mists of
the West, when he was allowed to seek his blankets, and the cold acting
on his friend's eloquence made Ripton's flesh very contrite. The poor
fellow had thinner blood than the hero; but his heart was good. By the
time he had got a little warmth about him, his heart gratefully strove to
encourage him in the conception of becoming a knight and a Titan; and so
striving Ripton fell asleep and dreamed.