Finally the silence became oppressive,
and he swung around at me petulantly.

"I can't see what's the use of making such a lot of fuss over the
thing," he muttered. "It seems as though because I have a lot of money
I've got to be fettered to it hand and foot. I'm not going to be a
slave to a desk. I've warned you of that. You wanted me to be a great
athlete, Roger, and now when I'm putting my skill to the test you
rebel."

"An athlete--but a gentleman. There are some things a gentleman
doesn't do."

"A gentleman," he sneered. "I hear of a lot of things a gentleman must
not do. Perhaps I don't know what the word means. In New York a
gentleman can get drunk at dances, swear, treat people impolitely, and
as long as he comes of a good family or has money back of him nobody
questions him. So long as I treat people decently and do no one any
harm I'm willing to take my chances with God Almighty. With Sailor
Clancy fighting is a business. With me it's a sport. He hasn't had
many good matches. I've given him a chance to make five thousand
dollars and gate receipts. Who am I hurting? Surely not Clancy. Not
Flynn. His gym is so full of people we've had to get special training
quarters. I've hired a lot of people to look after me, rubbers,
assistants--why, old Sagorski worships the very ground I walk on. Who
am I hurting?" he urged again.

"Yourself," I persisted sternly.

He laughed up at the ceiling.

"Good old Roger! You haven't much opinion of my moral fiber, after
all, have you? My poor old morals! They'd all be shot to shreds by
now if you had your way. I don't drink, steal, cheat, lie--"

I rose, shrugging my shoulders, and walked past him.

"I'll say no more except that I hope you know I think you're a fool."

"I do, Roger," he laughed. "You've indicated it clearly."

At the fireplace I turned, laying my trap for him skillfully.

"You've told Marcia?" I asked carelessly.

"Yes," he said. "You see, Marcia--" he bit his lip, reddened and came
to a full stop, searching my face with a quick glance, but he found me
elaborately removing a speck of lint from my coat sleeve.

"Yes, Jerry. Marcia--?" I encouraged innocently.

For a fraction of a minute he paused and then went on, blurting the
whole thing in his old boyish way.

"You see, Marcia's very broad-gauge, Roger. She's really very much
interested in the whole thing. It was a good deal of a surprise to me.
It began when she heard about my bout with Sagorsk