letting flash a diamond finger-ring in the lamp-light. "He _is_ a
bit of a beast, policeman, and it's not for the pleasure of it that I
want his company."

A sovereign passed from hand to hand. The other constable had
discreetly drawn off a pace or two.

"All the same, it's a rum go."

"Yes, isn't it?" Gervase assented in his heartiest tone. "Here is my
card, in case you're not satisfied."

"If _you're_ satisfied, Sir--"

"Quite so. Good night!" Gervase thrust both hands into his pockets
again and strode off. I followed him, with a heart hotter than ever--
followed him like a whipped cur, as they say. Yes, that was just it.
He who had already robbed me of everything else had now kicked even the
pedestal from under me as a figure of tragedy. Five minutes ago I had
been the implacable avenger tracking my unconscious victim across the
city. Heaven knows how small an excuse it was for self-respect; but one
who has lost character may yet chance to catch a dignity from
circumstances; and to tell the truth, for all my desperate earnestness I
had allowed my vanity to take some artistic satisfaction in the sinister
chase. It had struck me--shall I say?--as an effective ending, nor had
I failed to note that the snow lent it a romantic touch.

And behold, the unconscious victim knew all about it, and had politely
interfered when a couple of unromantic "Bobbies" threatened the
performance by tumbling the stalking avenger into the gutter! They had
knocked my tragedy into harlequinade as easily as you might bash in a
hat; and my enemy had refined the cruelty of it by coming to the rescue
and ironically restarting the poor play on lines of comedy. I saw too
late that I ought to have refused his help, to have assaulted the
constable and been hauled to the police-station. Not an impressive
wind-up, to be sure; but less humiliating than this! Even so, Gervase
might have trumped the poor card by following with a gracious offer to
bail me out!

As it was, I had put the whip into his hand, and must follow him like a
cur. The distance he kept assured me that the similitude had not
escaped him. He strode on without deigning a single glance behind,
still in cold derision presenting me his broad back and silently
challenging me to shoot. And I followed, hating him worse than ever,
swearing that the last five minutes should not be forgotten, but charged
for royally when the reckoning came to be paid.

I followed thus u