e months past."

"Oh, my gracious!" cried Anson. "Hark at him! He does mean it--he must
mean it, unless we can bring him to his senses, West. You will help me,
won't you?"

"How can I tell till I know what it's all about? What's the quarrel,
Ingle?"

"Ask him," answered the young man addressed, frowning.

"Very well, then; I'll ask him. What's the row, Anson?"

"I have hardly patience to tell you, West," was the reply. "But I
suppose I must, though it makes my face burn with shame."

"Humph!" grunted Ingleborough.

"Then it is something you are ashamed of?" said West quickly.

"Me? Oh no, West; I'm not ashamed. I've nothing to be ashamed of: only
being accused by a fellow-clerk, a brother-clerk, I might say, of doing
a terrible thing."

"And did you?" said West sharply.

"I? Good gracious, no! I was out in the main street about half-an-hour
ago, being of course interested in the news, when I saw a couple of
Kaffirs talking, and it made me wonder what would become of them if it
came to fighting, and I naturally enough asked the poor fellows whether
they'd stay in Kimberley or go back to their own country."

"Well?" said West, for the speaker stopped.

"Well, that's all as far as I'm concerned," said Anson; "only just then
Ingleborough, who is never happy without he's mixing himself up somehow
with the police folk, and who must have been watching me in a miserable
underhanded way, suddenly pounced upon me; and you'll never believe it,
my dear West, he actually accused me of illicit-diamond-buying from the
Kaffirs."

"And that means very severe punishment," said West. "Well, were you
doing it?"

"Was I? Oh, for shame, West! How could you think such a thing
possible? My dear fellow, I couldn't do such a thing? Is it likely?"

"Ingleborough says it is," replied the young man addressed, shortly.

"Yes, but only because he is absurdly jealous of me, and dislikes to see
me in the office. It would ruin me for ever if it were reported, and he
says he is going to, although I have been begging and praying him not to
do such a thing. What do you say?"

"If it's true, and Ingleborough says it is, I don't see how he could
help, reporting your conduct to the directors."

"But it isn't true!" cried Anson, almost in a whine. "Oh, West, how can
you? You know I couldn't do such a thing!"

"Do you mean to say that you are quite innocent?"

"Oh, quite!" cried Anson. "It was as I told you. I only