a glass and some ice in
the bureau inside. Anyhow my steward boy put some there."

Dick, who went into the hut, came back with a grin. "There's a bit of wet
blanket, but the ice has gone. It seems to have run into your papers."

"They'll dry," Bethune said tranquilly. "You had better put some of the
_gaseosa_ in the wine; it's sour Spanish _tinto_. Then if you like to
pick up the book, I'll read you some Francois Villon. There was red
blood in that fellow and it's a pity he's dead. You get into touch with
him better beside the Spanish Main than you can in New York."

"I never heard of him, and perhaps I ought to explain----"

"What you came for? Then go ahead and ease your mind. It's business first
with you."

"It occurred to me that I had perhaps taken too much upon myself now and
then. You are my chief, of course, and I don't want to look pushing."

"That shows good taste," Bethune remarked. "But how are you going to get
over the difficulty that you _are_ what you call pushing? Anyhow, I'm
surprised it did occur to you."

"To tell the truth, it was something Fuller said----"

"So I imagined! Well, when you go too far I'll pull you up, but we
needn't bother about it in the meantime. You were obviously born a
hustler, but you have an ingenuousness that disarms resentment. In fact,
you quite upset our views of the British character."

"Then the feeling's mutual," Dick rejoined with a grin. "You don't
harmonize with what I've seen of Americans."

"Ours is a big country and we've room for different types; but I come
from Georgia and we haven't all learned to hustle yet in the South.
That's probably why I'm here, when I could have had a much better paid
job."

Dick did not doubt this, because he had seen something of the other's
mathematical powers. He was not a fool at figures himself, but Bethune
could solve by a flash of genius problems that cost him laborious
calculation. It was strange that such a man should be content to make a
very modest use of his talents.

"I suppose you have met Miss Fuller," Bethune resumed.

"Yes," said Dick. "She made things pleasant for me when I first went to
the tent. I like her very much."

"Miss Fuller has most of the New England virtues, including a stern sense
of her responsibility. I expect you don't know if she shares her father's
good opinion of yourself."

"I don't know what Fuller's opinion is," Dick replied awkwardly.

Bethune laughed. "Well, he's given you a g