Королі та капуста
Caught
Extremefatiguewassignifiedineverylineofherfigure;anduponhercountenanceadeepperplexitywaswritten.Hereyesweregray-irised,andofthatmouldthatseemstohavebelongedtotheorbsofallthefamousqueensofhearts.Theirwhitesweresingularlyclearandbrilliant,concealedabovetheirisesbyheavyhorizontallids,andshowingasnowylinebelowthem.Sucheyesdenotegreatnobility,vigour,and,ifyoucanconceiveofit,amostgenerousselfishness.ShelookedupwhentheAmericanenteredwithanexpressionofsurprisedinquiry,butwithoutalarm.
Goodwintookoffhishatandseatedhimself,withhischaracteristicdeliberateease,uponacornerofthetable.Heheldalightedcigarbetweenhisfingers.HetookthisfamiliarcoursebecausehewassurethatpreliminarieswouldbewasteduponMissGuilbert.Heknewherhistory,andthesmallpartthattheconventionshadplayedinit.
"Goodevening,"hesaid."Now,madame,letuscometobusinessatonce.YouwillobservethatImentionnonames,butIknowwhoisinthenextroom,andwhathecarriesinthatvalise.Thatisthepointwhichbringsmehere.Ihavecometodictatetermsofsurrender."
Theladyneithermovednorreplied,butsteadilyregardedthecigarinGoodwin’shand.
"We,"continuedthedictator,thoughtfullyregardingtheneatbuckskinshoeonhisgentlyswingingfoot—"Ispeakforaconsiderablemajorityofthepeople—demandthereturnofthestolenfundsbelongingtothem.Ourtermsgoverylittlefurtherthanthat.Theyareverysimple.