`` it must be their only hope of preserving their estates , of course , '' hammond said distractedly as he paced the small anteroom to which they had retired for a brief respite , `` their only hope-at least if there is a war , there is some chance of victory-indeed i am most impressed with the forbearance of that general ; one would not expect it of a military man- '' laurence , who had listened to lethabo translating and picked out whatever he could , did not think that mogotsi had needed to exercise so much restraint as hammond would have given him credit for ; and suspected that some remarks on the other side which might have given the portuguese noblemen some excuse for ending the discussion had similarly been left out .