on. For the next six mortal months they will think of nothing but
us, as for six mortal months they thought of nothing but the
Dreyfus case. Oh, I know it's funny. They let starving children,
who don't want to die, drop by the score without looking round.
But because two gentlemen, from private feelings of delicacy, do
want to die, they will mobilize the army and navy to prevent
them. For half a year or more, you and I, Mr. MacIan, will be an
obstacle to every reform in the British Empire. We shall prevent
the Chinese being sent out of the Transvaal and the blocks being
stopped in the Strand. We shall be the conversational substitute
when anyone recommends Home Rule, or complains of sky signs.
Therefore, do not imagine, in your innocence, that we have only
to melt away among those English hills as a Highland cateran
might into your god-forsaken Highland mountains. We must be
eternally on our guard; we must live the hunted life of two
distinguished criminals. We must expect to be recognized as much
as if we were Napoleon escaping from Elba. We must be prepared
for our descriptions being sent to every tiny village, and for
our faces being recognized by every ambitious policeman. We must
often sleep under the stars as if we were in Africa. Last and
most important we must not dream of effecting our--our final
settlement, which will be a thing as famous as the Phoenix Park
murders, unless we have made real and precise arrangements for
our isolation--I will not say our safety. We must not, in short,
fight until we have thrown them off our scent, if only for a
moment. For, take my word for it, Mr. MacIan, if the British
Public once catches us up, the British Public will prevent the
duel, if it is only by locking us both up in asylums for the rest
of our days."