duty of anyone to prevent a man making--a--a fool of himself. You
ought to be ashamed."

Unwittingly, she had used the right tone. He leant back in the chair and
stared at her with a mixture of resentment and amusement.

"You have plenty of confidence, anyhow, young lady," he said.

"And you have none," retorted Celia, with a dash of colour. "Fancy a man
of your age trying to--to kill himself!"

"My age!" He laughed mirthlessly, ironically. "You talk to me, look at
me, as if I were a boy."

"You are not much more," said Celia; "and a foolish one into the
bargain."

He pushed impatiently the short lock of hair from his forehead, which
was dank with sweat.

"Be that as it may," he said, "you have interfered most unwarrantably in
a matter which does not concern you. All the same, I suppose you expect
me to say that I am obliged to you. Well, I'm not; I don't like being
interfered with, especially--by a woman. You come into my room----" He
tried to rise with an air of dignity, but he sank back, as if he were
weak, and with his arms extended along those of the chair regarded her
with a grim smile of whimsicality. "Well, I suppose I ought to say I am
obliged to you. Consider that I have said it and--pray, don't let me
keep you."

Celia rose, the revolver still in her hand.

"Good night," she said.

"Here!" he called out to her, wearily; "give me back that thing; put it
down."

"Certainly not," said Celia, with decision. "You are not fit to be
trusted with it."

"Oh, am I not?" he said, sarcastically.

"You know you are not. What were you doing with it, what were you going
to do with it, when I came in?" she demanded.

"What an unnecessary question," he retorted. "I was going to shoot
myself, of course."

"Exactly. That is why I am taking it away from you."

"You are very clever," he said, with an attempt at sarcasm. "I can go
out and buy another. No, I can't"--he laughed rather quaveringly--"I
haven't the coin. Put that revolver down, young lady, and leave me
alone."

"I shall do nothing of the kind," said Celia, her eyes bright, her lips
drawn straight. "I mean, that I am going to take the revolver. And I am
not sure that I ought to leave you alone. If I do, will you promise
me----"

"That I won't try to kill myself in some other way? I will promise
you nothing of the sort; you don't know what you are asking. But, as I
said before, I don't want to detain you. In fact, if you knew--what I
am----" his