And the more that the woman was abused, and the more intent were all the people in regard to her wicked determination to be intimate with Caldigate, the more interesting she became.

Dick, who was himself the very imp of imprudence,--who had never been deterred from doing anything he fancied by any glimmer of control,--would have been delighted to be the hero of all the little stories that were being told.
But as that morsel of bread had been taken, as it were, from between his very teeth by the unjustifiable interference of his friend, he had become more alive than any one else to the danger of the whole proceeding.

He acknowledged to the Captain that his friend was making a fool of himself; and, though he was a little afraid of Caldigate, he resolved upon interfering.
'Don't you think you are making an ass of yourself about this woman ?' he said.
'I daresay I am.' 'Well!' 'All the wise men, from David downwards, have made asses of themselves about women; and why should I be wiser than the rest ?' 'That's nonsense, you know.' 'Very likely.' 'I am trying to talk to you in earnest.' 'You make such a failure of it, old boy, that I am compelled to talk nonsense in return.

The idea of your preaching! Here I am with nothing special to do, and I like to amuse myself.

Ought not that to be enough for you ?' 'But what is to be the end of it ?' Dick Shand asked, very solemnly.
'How can I tell?
But the absurdity is that such a man as you should talk about the end of anything.