But it must be your
brother; no doubt he has helped you to--"
"Not he!" cried the innocent Dolly, with fine pride; "I rather look down
upon his reasoning powers; though I never could make such a pretty
tink of rhymes--like the bells of the sheep when the ground is full of
turnips."
"He approves of your elevated views," said Carne, looking as grave as a
crow at a church clock; "they may not have come from him, because they
are your own, quite as much as his poetry is his. But he perceives their
truth, and he knows that they must prevail. In a year or two we shall be
wondering, sweet Dolly, when you and I sit side by side, as the
stupid old King and Queen do now, that it ever has been possible for
narrow-minded nonsense to prevail as it did until we rose above it. We
shall be admired as the benefactors, not of this country only, but of
the whole world."
Miss Dolly was fairly endowed with common-sense, but often failed to
use it. She would fain have said now, "That sounds wonderfully fine; but
what does it mean, and how are we to work it?" But unluckily she
could not bring herself to say it. And when millions are fooled by the
glibness of one man--even in these days of wisdom--who can be surprised
at a young maid's weakness?
"You wish me to help you in some way," she said; "your object is sure to
be good; and you trust me in everything, because of my discretion. Then
why not tell me everything?"
"You know everything," Carne replied, with a smile of affection and
sweet reproach.
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