"I do not think it greatly affects my character. I
believe, as a matter of fact, that I am just as wicked as you
would have me be, but I have friends in every walk of life, and,
as you know, I like to peer into the unexpected places. I had
heard of this man Billy the Tanner. He beats women, and has
established a perfect reign of terror in the court and
neighbourhood where he lives. I fear I must agree with you that
there were some elements of morality--of conforming, at any rate,
to the recognised standards of justice--in what I did. You know,
of course, that I am a great patron of every form of boxing,
fencing, and the various arts of self-defence and attack. I just
took along one of the men from my gymnasium who I knew was equal
to the job, to give this fellow a lesson."
"He did it all right," Lady Cynthia murmured.
"But this is where I think I re-establish myself," Sir Timothy
continued, the peculiar nature of his smile reasserting itself.
"I did not do this for the sake of the neighbourhood. I did not
do it from any sense of justice at all. I did it to provide for
myself an enjoyable and delectable spectacle."
She smiled lazily.
"That does rather let you out," she admitted. "However, on the
whole I am disappointed. I am afraid that you are not so bad as
people think.
Pages:
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235