Supper time approached, but Roger was so anxious to reach London before
dark that he asserted his right as master and refused to stop at an inn
where Noah had drawn up the horses, insisting that they be fed.
Considerable time was lost in argument with Noah, but at last they took
the road once more, which by that time had become very heavy. Night fell
without twilight, because of the storm, and the travellers were overtaken
by darkness just as they reached the most dangerous part of the road
within less than a league of London.
The road grew heavier with every turn of the wheels, the horses wheezed
dismally, and Roger groaned inwardly. He kept his head out of the coach
door most of the time, looking for trouble, and found it before his
journey's end. Noah lighted the great lanthorn and hung it in front of
the dashboard, his only cause of anxiety being the horses, until a
greater arose.
CHAPTER III
IT IS HARD TO BE GOOD
There is an infernal charm about sin which should have been given to
virtue, but unluckily got shifted in very early human days. And so it was
that George Hamilton had troubles of his own in this respect. When he
left Frances Jennings at Sundridge, he was aglow with good resolutions,
all of which were to be put into immediate practice, and many of which he
carried out in part by strong though spasmodic effort when he returned
to court.
His attempts to be decent at first filled his friends with surprise, then
disgust, then raillery.
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