Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 2.djvu/149

 very incarnation of a programme. You felt that he was a big chap the very moment you came into his presence.

'Into whose presence, Mr. Robinson?' the Princess inquired.

'I don't know that I ought to tell you, much as I believe in you! I am speaking of the very remarkable individual with whom I entered into that engagement.'

'To give away your life?'

'To do something which in a certain contingency he will require of me. He will require my poor little carcass.'

'Those plans have a way of failing—unfortunately,' the Princess murmured, adding the last word more quickly.

'Is that a consolation, or a lament?' Hyacinth asked. 'This one shall not fail, so far as it depends on me. They wanted an obliging young man—the place was vacant—I stepped in.'

'I have no doubt you are right. We must pay for what we do.' The Princess made that remark calmly and coldly; then she said, 'I think I know the person in whose power you have placed yourself.'

'Possibly, but I doubt it.'

'You can't believe I have already gone so far? Why not? I have given you a certain amount of proof that I don't hang back.'

'Well, if you know my friend, you have gone very far indeed.'

The Princess appeared to be on the point of pronouncing a name; but she checked herself, and asked suddenly, smiling, 'Don't they also want, by chance, an obliging young woman?'