laurence was taken aback by the violence of temeraire 's response ; and only after a sharp recrimination did he understand that temeraire had meant to propose not a separation but their remaining in china together , as though laurence had anything to do here but make a cake of himself , prancing about in false honors bestowed for mere politics and luxuriating in a wealthy foreign court , while on the other side of the world , his country-men fought and died to defend their country against an encroaching tyrant .