"Have you nothing to say?
You did a deal of prating just now.

I make no doubt but that even at this late hour if you were to make apology..." "It would be idle," came Wilding's icy voice to quench the gleam of hope kindling anew in Richard's breast.

The lad saw that he was lost, and he is a poor thing, indeed, who cannot face the worst once that worst is shown to be irrevocable.

He rose with some semblance of dignity.
"It is as I would wish," said he, but his livid face and staring eyes belied the valour of his words.

He cleared his huskiness from his throat.