prised him, and he had run from
recollected habit. . . . It had been base. . . . Why, of course,
Santa made all the difference! He must go back to protect Santa.

At the thought of her he felt a second flush of shame sweep up in
him, quite different from the first and quite horrible. The tide of
it scorched his face as if flaying it. And so--if you'll
understand--in the very moment of knowing himself twice vulnerable--
no, ten times as vulnerable--this Farrell, loving this woman, became
a man: and three small ragamuffins stood about him and witnessed the
outward process.

The outward process ended in his fishing out three _dineros_ from his
trouser pocket and bestowing one on each of them--twopence-halfpenny
or thereabouts is a godsend to a juvenile in San Ramon.
"There, little fools!" he said. "Take the stranger's bag along and
don't quarrel any more. There is nothing in this world so silly as
quarrelling."

With that he went back down the hill, and so came on Foe and on
Santa, talking down to Foe from the balcony porch.

"Hallo, old man!" said Farrell, looking Foe straight in the eyes: and
"Hallo!" answered Foe, looking Farrell straight in the eyes. Santa,
gazing down from the rail, thought it strange that they did not shake
hands, as Britons and Americans do when they met.

"I found three rascals," said Farrell easily, "scrapping for the
honour of delivering a suit-case at Engelbaum's hotel--a suit-case
that I recognised. I rescued it, and it is now safe in the porch.
. . . Oh, by the way, though you seem to have made acquaintance, let
me do the formal and introduce you to my wife. Santa, this is Doctor
Foe, an old fellow-traveller."

Foe gave him one glance, shrewd and steady, before looking aloft and
again raising his hat. The thrust did not penetrate Farrell's
defence.

"It's awkward," said Farrell, "that we can't even offer you a bed.
We're all packed up, ready to sail by the steamer to-morrow.
Mrs. Farrell and I in fact are shifting quarters. . . . Staying?"

"No," said Foe imperturbably. "I shall be sailing to-morrow, too.
. . . I just heard of this place, and thought I'd like to have a
look at it before going on. . . . Shouldn't think of troubling you."

"Curious, how small the world is," went on Farrell in a level voice.
"You won't mind my talking a bit in the old manner? . . . It sort of
puts us back at the old ease, eh? . . . Well then, we can't offer to
put you up. But if you don