d I lift hand in anger against anybody, except under the most
absolute necessity of self-defence--or in defence of others. And I
never have."

Clare's colour heightened and her eyes shone. Instinctively she put
forth her hand to take his, and withdrew it instantly as she remembered
that they were in full view of everybody.

"Once, not long ago, up here, I put on the gloves with another man, a
first-rate performer, for a friendly spar. But even with gloves on you
can do a good deal of grim slogging. Somehow it came upon me--I believe
I was getting the best of it, I'm not sure--that the thing was getting
too real, and a vivid recollection of that other affair seemed to rise
up like a ghost, and then and there I chucked up the sponge. Again they
said I had funked."

"Yes, I heard about that," she said. "But it didn't make any difference
to me. I knew better all along, and told them so."

"You told them so?"

"Of course I did. You see, I knew you better than that--even though we
hadn't done very much talking together, had we? And so that was your
reason. Well you have adhered to your resolve--yes, grandly."

"Do you remember that morning up on Ehlatini, you were warning me about
Ancram? Well, that story was nearly all true. I did think my life was
too good to put in pawn for the sake of that of a peculiarly abominable
specimen of the _genus_ gutter-brat--a specimen which was bound to be
hung sooner or later--probably sooner. I think so still."

She shook her head, trying to look solemn.

"All life is sacred," she began.

"Is it? Mine wasn't--not much. But I'm pretty sure that the immersed
gutter-snipe's was less so."

No, there was no keeping up the solemnity line. Clare went off into a
rippling peal of laughter.

"I can't help it," she exclaimed. "But don't imagine I approve. It was
very wrong indeed to let slip an opportunity of saving life."

"Oh, for the matter of that, if the wretched little beast had been quite
alone the case would have been different. As it was, there were plenty
of others to haul him out if they chose, so I let them. Then I was
insulted and abused by the last person in the world who should have done
so, and that in front of a gang of gaping clodhoppers. I hope Ancram
didn't leave that part of the story out, because then you will know I
have been engaged before."

"Yes, I knew that," answered Clare, who was secretly admiring the
straightforward, unhesitating manne