Blake, "there's only one thing for
you to do, and that is to stay under cover."

"But, confound it!" protested Vernon, "I can't stay cooped up here in
these rooms all the time!"

"That's the only safe way," observed Collins. "Suppose Markeld should
find out how the land lies! The fat would be in the fire for sure; and
we'd be in a mighty awkward position! Suppose the jingoes got hold of
it!" and he turned pale at the thought.

"Well, I won't stay shut up, that's certain," said Vernon, doggedly.
"As for the jingoes, let them rave!"

"That's easy to say," retorted Collins, with irony, "when some one else
has to bear the brunt of it."

Vernon snorted impatiently.

"You may frighten yourself whenever you please," he said, "but you can't
frighten me. I've heard the cry of 'Wolf! Wolf!' entirely too often."

"But the wolf came at last," Blake pointed out.

"Well, it isn't coming this time; and I don't care if it is. I repeat,
categorically and imperatively, _I won't stay shut up!"_

"You agreed to obey our instructions, you know."

"Every one has the right to rebel against a tyrant!"

"At least," said Collins, yielding the ground grudgingly, "you must
remember always to keep on your sick-togs when you do go out, and to try
to look a little less scandalously healthy than you are. Now, if you'd
kept on your wraps when you jumped out of the chair--"

"How was I to kick a dog with a rug around my legs? You fellows don't
give me credit for what I did do. I'd just got into a most interesting
conversation with those girls, when up came a fellow whom I knew
instinctively to be Markeld."

He stopped as he caught the others' astounded gaze.

"Yes, Markeld!" he repeated, defiantly. "I've an idea that he is the
owner of the dog. I suppose I should have sent James to inquire who the
dog belonged to before I ventured forth!"

"No matter," said Collins, impatiently. "What did you do?"

"I was guilty of unpardonable rudeness," answered Vernon. "I broke away
from those girls as though they had the plague, jumped into my chair,
and buried myself behind my newspaper. They must have thought I'd
escaped from somewhere."

"So Markeld didn't see you, it doesn't matter what they thought,"
remarked Collins.

"Oh, doesn't it?"

"Surely you're not going to run any further risks for the sake of a girl
more or less!"

"My dear Collins!" said Vernon, with chill politeness; "I have always
suspected that a course in diplomacy suck