r after he had gazed a long
while from under his hand, he went into the house and fetched a glass.
It was very powerful; Herrick had often used it. With an instinct of
shame he hid his face in his hands.

"And what brings you here, Mr. Herrick-Hay, or Mr. Hay-Herrick?" asked
the voice of Attwater. "Your back view from my present position is
remarkably fine, and I would continue to present it. We can get on very
nicely as we are, and if you were to turn round, do you know? I think it
would be awkward."

Herrick slowly rose to his feet; his heart throbbed hard, a hideous
excitement shook him, but he was master of himself. Slowly he turned and
faced Attwater and the muzzle of a pointed rifle. "Why could I not do
that last night?" he thought.

"Well, why don't you fire?" he said aloud, in a voice that trembled.

Attwater slowly put his gun under his arm, then his hands in his
pockets.

"What brings you here?" he repeated.

"I don't know," said Herrick; and then, with a cry: "Can you do anything
with me?"

"Are you armed?" said Attwater. "I ask for the form's sake."

"Armed? No!" said Herrick. "O yes, I am, too!"

And he flung upon the beach a dripping pistol.

"You are wet," said Attwater.

"Yes, I am wet," said Herrick. "Can you do anything with me?"

Attwater read his face attentively.

"It would depend a good deal upon what you are," said he.

"What I am? A coward!" said Herrick.

"There is very little to be done with that," said Attwater. "And yet the
description hardly strikes one as exhaustive."

"O, what does it matter?" cried Herrick. "Here I am. I am broken
crockery; I am a burst drum; the whole of my life is gone to water; I
have nothing left that I believe in, except my living horror of myself.
Why do I come to you? I don't know; you are cold, cruel, hateful; and I
hate you, or I think I hate you. But you are an honest man, an honest
gentleman. I put myself, helpless, in your hands. What must I do? If I
can't do anything, be merciful and put a bullet through me; it's only a
puppy with a broken leg!"

"If I were you, I would pick up that pistol, come up to the house, and
put on some dry clothes," said Attwater.

"If you really mean it?" said Herrick. "You know they--we--they.... But
you know all."

"I know quite enough," said Attwater. "Come up to the house."

And the captain, from the deck of the _Farallone_, saw the two men pass
together under the shadow of the grove.

CHAPTER X