once. After all, it's no business of mine."

"Then do drop it. Like a good man, J. J., leave Miss King alone, and
let the judge fish in peace."

"No; I won't. I'll see the thing through now I'm this far, and within
easy reach of success. I don't want to have you reproaching me
afterwards for going back on my word."

"I won't reproach you. I promise not to."

"You'd mean not to; but when the present flurry is over, and when
Simpkins begins to annoy you again about the fishing and other things,
you won't be able to help reproaching me. Even if you refrain from
actual words I shall see it in your eye. I can't go through life,
Major, haunted by your eye with a mute, unspoken reproach in it."

Major Kent sighed heavily.

"Then what do you mean to do?" he asked.

"I shall see the judge to-morrow," said Meldon, "and--"

"I advise you not to. He's sure to have found out about the paraffin
oil by that time."

"I'm prepared for that. There may be some slight temporary
unpleasantness, but that will pass away at once when the judge hears
the proposal that I have to make."

"What's that?"

"That he should encourage the marriage between Simpkins and his niece.
I shall explain to him that it is very much to his own interest to do
so, and of course he'll see the force of what I say at once. I shan't
mention the ultimate fate of Simpkins. I don't suppose he'd care much
if I did. He can't be particularly keen on preserving Simpkins' life,
for he doesn't know him. Still it is best to avoid all risks, and I
shall treat the marriage as the ordinary conventional love-match,
without hinting at any connection between it and Miss King's peculiar
art. When I've settled things up with him--that'll be about twelve or
one o'clock, if I get at him before he starts fishing for the day--I
shall go down to the village and get a hold of Simpkins. He'll be in
his office, I expect. I shall lunch with him, and then lead him up and
lay him at Miss King's feet."

"Will he go for you? He hasn't shown any great eagerness for the match
so far."

"I shan't give him much choice," said Meldon. "I shall tell him that
the thing has got to be done at once. Very few men are able to stand
up to me when I take a really determined tone with them, and I shall
speak in the strongest way to Simpkins. When I have, so to speak,
deposited him in front of Miss King--"

"On his knees?" said the Major.

"Very probably. In these matters of