't play the moralist with me, you high-minded
old paragon!' He spoke with a kind of savage jocularity. 'I tell you I
know that you got your fame and fortune, and even that charming Mabel
of yours, by a meaner trick than I, who don't pretend to be
particular, should care to dirty my hands with. I may have helped a
child to burn a letter--I don't remember that I ever stole a book.
I've been an ass in my time, I dare say, but not quite such an ass as
to go about in a lion's skin!' Mark sat there dumb and terror-stricken.
His buried secret had risen after all--it was all over. He could only
say in his despair--

'Has Holroyd told you?'

Caffyn knew all he wanted when he heard that. 'We won't go into that,'
he said. 'It's quite enough for you that I know. Do you feel quite
such a virtuous horror of continuing my acquaintance now? Couldn't you
bring yourself to overlook my little shortcomings this time? _Must_
you really close your respectable door on me?'

Mark only looked at him.

'You fool,' said Caffyn, 'to give yourself airs with me. I've done you
more than one good turn. I believe I rather liked you--you did the
thing so well that I'm hanged if I should have had the heart to show
you up. And now you _will_ go and make an enemy of me--is it quite
prudent?'

'What do you want me to do?' asked Mark, with his hand shielding his
eyes from the shaded candles near him.

'Now you're getting sensible!' said Caffyn. 'We shall hit it off yet!
You've got some authority over your wife, I suppose? Use it. Stop this
cackle about the letter: make her shut her mouth; I can't afford to
lose the _entree_ to two houses like your father-in-law's and your
own, just now. I can be discreet too--it shall be mouth for mouth. If
you don't--if you stand by and let your wife and her mother go about
spreading this story until I daren't show my face anywhere, why, I
shall take care to come to grief in good company! Mabel can smash me
if you like to let her, but if you do, by ---- it shall bring my sting
out! Is it a bargain?'

Mark hesitated. As they sat there he heard the sounds outside of
arriving carriages and entering footsteps; people were coming in for
this rehearsal. How he loathed the thought of it now! How was he to go
through it?

'We shall have to go presently,' said Caffyn. 'I am waiting for my
answer--yes or no?'

'No,' said Mark. 'I see no use in playing mouse to your cat. Do you
think I don't know that it would come out so