enough I did not become incensed; I never thought of kicking
down the door, I never thought of harboring a grudge. It wasn't fear
of the big man, either. It was--well, that was Newman. He could do a
thing like that, and get away with it.

The carousing gang downstairs was more than ever distasteful to me. I
went into my own room and lay down upon the bed. The liquor that was
in me made me a bit drowsy, and I rather relished the thought of a nap.

But I discovered I was likely to be cheated of even the nap by my next
door neighbors. The walls in the Swede's house were poor barriers to
sounds, and lying there on the bed I suddenly found myself overhearing
a considerable part of the conversation in the next room. Newman's
deep voice was a mere rumble, a menacing rumble, with the words
undistinguishable, but the beggar's disagreeable whine carried through
the partition so distinctly I could not help overhearing nearly every
word he said. I didn't try to eavesdrop; at the time Beasley's words
had little interest or meaning for me. But afterwards, on the ship, I
had reason to ponder over what he said.

The burden of his speech was to the effect that somebody referred to as
"he" was to blame. Aye, trust a rat of that caliber to set up that
wail. For some time that was all I got from the words that came
through the wall. I wasn't trying to listen; I was drowsing, and
paying very little attention.

But gradually Beasley's whine grew louder and more distinct. I suppose
the whisky was oiling his tongue. Once he cried out sharply, "For
God's sake, don't look at me like that! I'm telling the truth, I swear
I am!" The scrape of a chair followed this outburst, and when the
whine began again it was closer to the wall, and more distinct than
ever.

"I didn't want to, but he made me. I had to look out for myself,
hadn't I? I had to do what he said. He had this paper of mine--he
knew they were forgeries--I had to do what he said. But, my God, I
didn't know what he was planning--I swear I didn't!"

Newman's rumble broke in, and then the voluble, reedy voice continued,
"But he was wild when he came home and found you and Mary so thick, and
everybody just waiting for the announcement that it was a match. Why,
he had the whole thing planned, the very day he arrived. I know he
had, because he came to me, in the tavern, and told me I was to drop
hints here and there through the village that you and Beulah Twigg had