Only dad seemed to think--"
She hesitated.
"Go ahead," he encouraged her. "I don't doubt that your father was
entirely right."
"Well, then, dad seemed to think that Prince Ferdinand is much the
better of the two men."
"There is no question of that," assented Lord Vernon, gloomily. "But let
me put a case, Miss Rushford. Suppose your best friend were set upon by
thieves and just as you started to help him, another thief came up
behind you and, putting a pistol to your head, commanded you to stand
still. What would you do?"
"I'd stand still," laughed Sue.
"Yes; but your friend can't see the thief behind you, and when he sees
you standing there, not offering to help him, he thinks you are a coward
and a traitor. Perhaps he tells you so in the most emphatic language at
his command."
"It would be a very difficult position," agreed Sue, still laughing at
the picture presented by the words. "On second thought, I don't believe
I'd stand still for long; I'd try to give my thief a knock-out blow and
then go help my friend."
"But you would have to wait till your thief was off his guard. Well,
that is pretty much the position that England is in, as I understand it.
Prince Ferdinand is our friend, but we've got to wait till the man with
the pistol makes a false move.
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