something compromising about it which had hitherto escaped detection.

"Well, I don't agree with you at all," said the host, emphatically.

"Nor I," said Mr. Carter.

"Nor I, Mr. Gorham," said Mrs. Lawford, plaintively conveying the
impression that if a woman so ready as she to accept new points of
view abandoned him there could be no chance of his being right.

"No, you're all wrong, my dear fellow," said Caspar Green. "Such ideas
may go down among your long-haired artistic and literary friends at
the Argonaut Club, but you can't expect civilized Christians to accept
them. Why, man, it's monstrous--monstrous, by Jove!--to depreciate
that noble fellow's action--a man we all ought to be proud of, as Miss
Newbury says. If we don't encourage such people, how can we expect
them to be willing to risk their lives?" Thereupon the little broker,
as a relief to his outraged feelings, emptied his champagne-glass at a
draught and scowled irascibly. His jesting equanimity was rarely
disturbed; consequently, everybody felt the importance of his
testimony.

"I'm sorry to be so completely in the minority," said Gorham, "but
that's the way the matter strikes me. I don't think you quite catch my
point, though, Caspar," he added, glancing at Mr. Green. At a less
heated moment the company, with the possible exception of Mrs. Green,
might have tacitly agreed that this was extremely probable; but now
Miss Newbury, who had hitherto refrained from comment, in order to
digest the problem thoroughly before speaking, came to the broker's
aid.