married her in all that hurry. But you knew what you were
doing well enough when you took her away. You won't dare to tell me that
you hadn't seen Ferdinand when you two mizzled off from the College?"
Then he paused, waiting again for a reply.

"As I told you before," he said, "no further conversation on the subject
can be of avail. It does not suit me to be cross-examined as to what I
knew or what I did not know. If you have anything for me to hear, you can
say it. If you have anything to tell to others, go and tell it to them."

"That's just it," said Lefroy.

"Then go and tell it."

"You're in a terrible hurry, Mister Peacocke. I don't want to drop in and
spoil your little game. You're making money of your little game. I can
help you as to carrying on your little game, better than you do at
present. I don't want to blow upon you. But as you're making money out
of it, I'd like to make a little too. I am precious hard up,--I am."

"You will make no money of me," said the other.

"A little will go a long way with me; and remember, I have got tidings now
which are worth paying for."

"What tidings?"

"If they're worth paying for, it's not likely that you are going to get
them for nothing."

"Look here, Colonel Lefroy; whatever you may have to say about me will
certainly not be prevented by my paying you money. Though you might be
able to ruin me to-morrow I would not give you a dollar to save myself."

"But her," said Lefroy, pointing as it were up-stairs, with his thumb over
his shoulder.

"Nor her," said Peacocke.

"You don't care very much about her, then?"

"How much I may care I shall not trouble myself to explain to you. I
certainly shall not endeavour to serve her after that fashion. I begin to
understand why you have come, and can only beg you to believe that you
have come in vain."

Lefroy turned to his food, which he had not yet finished, while his
companion sat silent at the window, trying to arrange in his mind the
circumstances of the moment as best he might. He declared to himself that
had the man come but one day later, his coming would have been matter of
no moment. The story, the entire story, would then have been told to the
Doctor, and the brother-in-law, with all his malice, could have added
nothing to the truth. But now it seemed as though there would be a race
which should tell the story first. Now the Doctor would, no doubt, be led
to feel that the narration was m