u bought."

"Very well," said Mordaunt and they went to the gun-room.

The room was small. A glass case, holding guns and fishing rods, ran
along one wall; a bench occupied the other. There was a plain table,
stained by oil, and a fire burned in a stove with an open front, for
the night was damp. A flickering glow played about the walls and shone
on the greasy guns. Dick stopped Mordaunt, who put his hand on the
electric-light switch.

"Never mind the light," he said, throwing a letter on the table. "You
dropped this."

"I did," said Mordaunt, turning to Dick, who leaned against the table.
"Imagined I'd put it in my pocket. Thank you for picking it up."

Dick thought it significant that he had not opened the case to get the
new gun. Lance's voice was calm but his glance was quick. He seemed
to be waiting.

"What was Evelyn writing to you about?" Dick asked.

The light from the stove touched Mordaunt's face, which hardened.

"Then, you have not read the letter?"

"You know I have not," Dick rejoined, for his control gave way at the
other's taunt. Lance wanted to make him angry and find out how much he
knew. Well, he should find out and Dick thought he would get a jar.
"Anyhow, you must stop writing to Evelyn," he resumed. "I'd sooner you
kept away from Whitelees when she comes home."

"You bore with my visits not long since. Are you afraid to state why
you want them to stop?"

"Not at all," said Dick, seeing the other meant to force him to be
frank; he knew Lance had pluck. "You are a clever philanderer, but
Evelyn's going to marry Jim."

Mordaunt smiled, imprudently, since his smile infuriated Dick.

"Looks as if you wanted to quarrel! I imagine I shall not write to
Evelyn again for some time. This ought to satisfy you. Perhaps I'm
dull, but I don't know why our friendship should break off."

"You well know!" Dick exclaimed. "You meant to let Jim drown not long
since!"

"You're a theatrical fool," Mordaunt remarked, coolly, although his
voice was rather hoarse. "Anyhow, I think you're sober and you have
made a statement that must be justified."

"I'm willing to justify it, if you force me," Dick declared. "But I'd
sooner you admitted the thing and left the neighborhood, without an
awkward explanation. If you go at once and don't come back, it's
perhaps not needful the others should know why you went. You can live
in town; I don't care where you live, so long as you don't see Eve