I can tell you. You will have to take me on trust."

"You're making it hard," said the man who had spoken first.

Before Grant could answer, Clavering returned ready for his ride, but
Grant gave him no opportunity to address Hetty and Miss Schuyler. "It is
too far to drive to Allonby's in the sled," he said to them. "My sleigh is
at your service. Shall I drive you?"

Hetty, for a moment, looked irresolute, but she saw Clavering's face, and
remembered what was due to him and what he had apparently suffered for her
sake.

"It wouldn't be quite fair to dismiss Mr. Clavering in that fashion," she
said.

Grant glanced at her, and the girl longed for an opportunity of making him
understand what influenced her. But this was out of the question.

"Then, if he will be surety for their safety, the team is at Mr.
Clavering's disposal," he said.

Clavering said nothing to Grant, but he thrust his hand into his pocket
and laid a five-dollar bill on the table.

"I am very sorry I helped to destroy some of your crockery, fraeulein, and
this is the only amend I can make," he said. "If I knew how to replace the
broken things I wouldn't have ventured to offer it to you."

The little deprecatory gesture was graceful, and Hetty flashed an
approving glance at him; but she also looked at Grant, as if to beseech
his comprehension, when she went out. Larry, however, did not understand
her, and stood gravely aside as she passed him. He said nothing, but when
he was fastening the fur robe round her in the sleigh Hetty spoke.

"Larry," she said softly, "can't you understand that one has to do the
square thing to everybody?"

Then, Clavering, who could not hear what she was saying, flicked the
horses and the sleigh slid away into the darkness.

A moment or two later, while the men still lingered talking without and
Larry stood putting on his furs in the room, Breckenridge saw Miss Muller,
who had been gazing at the money rise, and as though afraid her resolution
might fail her, hastily thrust it into the stove.

"You are right," he said. "That was an abominably unfair shot of
Clavering's, Larry. Of course, you couldn't answer him or tell anybody,
but it's horribly unfortunate. The thing made the impression he meant it
to."

"Well," said Larry bitterly, "I have got to bear it with the rest. I can't
see any reason for being pleased with anything to-night."

Breckenridge nodded, but once more a little twinkle crept into his eyes.
"