t
way?" he asked.

"No," said the other, gloomily. "We'll go over the river to where I
live."

They took the path in that direction, and on the way Vibbard began
explaining how he had arranged his property.

"It's just as well not to go up to the Winwoods' until we've finished
this," he said, parenthetically. "And to tell you the truth, Thorny,
it's a queer business for me to be about, after I've been hard at work
for so long, scraping together what I've got. I shouldn't much like
people to know about it, I can tell you; and I never would do it for
any man but you."

Formerly, Silverthorn had been used to this sort of bluntness, but now
it irritated him.

"Do you mean to say," he asked, "that you would break your bargain, if
it had been made with any one besides me?"

Vibbard drew himself up proudly.

"No, sir!" he declared, in a cold tone. "I keep my word whenever I
have given it."

Silverthorn uttered an oath under his breath.

"If you mean to keep your word, why don't you do it without
blustering? Suppose I _have_ been unfortunate enough to come out
behind in the race, and to need this money of yours? Is that any
reason why you should grind into me like a file the sense of my
obligation to you?"

"Come, Thorny," said his friend, "you are treating me like a stranger.
How long is it since you got these high-strung notions?"

"I suppose I've been growing sensitive since I first perceived that I
was dependent on your fortune. It has unmanned me. I believe I might
have done something, but for this."

"Gad, so might I be doing something, now, if I had my whole capital,"
muttered Vibbard.

He did not see how his remark renewed the wound he had just been
trying to heal. For several years he had felt that the compact with
his friend was a useless clog on himself, and this had probably caused
him to dwell too much on his own generosity in making it.

Both felt pained and dissatisfied with their meeting. It was full of
sordidness and discomfort; it seemed in one hour to have stripped from
their lives the romance of youth. But after their little tiff they
tried to recover their spirits and succeeded in keeping up a sham kind
of gayety. Arrived at Silverthorn's lodging, they completed their
business; Vibbard handing over a check, and receiving in exchange
Silverthorn's copy of the agreement with a receipt in due form.

"How long can you stay, Bill?" asked Silverthorn, more cheerfully,
when this was over. A s