CHAPTER XIX 257
" Laughing and talking , sir ."
" They don ' t look grave and mysterious , as if they had heard something strange ?"
" Not at all : they are full of jests and gaiety ." " And Mason ?" " He was laughing too ."
" If all these people came in a body and spat at me , what would you do , Jane ?"
" Turn them out of the room , sir , if I could ."
He half smiled . " But if I were to go to them , and they only looked at me coldly , and whispered sneeringly amongst each other , and then dropped off and left me one by one , what then ? Would you go with them ?"
" I rather think not , sir : I should have more pleasure in staying with you ." " To comfort me ?" " Yes , sir , to comfort you , as well as I could ." " And if they laid you under a ban for adhering to me ?"
" I , probably , should know nothing about their ban ; and if I did , I should care nothing about it ."
" Then , you could dare censure for my sake ?"
" I could dare it for the sake of any friend who deserved my adherence ; as you , I am sure , do ."