ueer Street, and I've lived
there all my life. You fellows who are simply rolling in wealth haven't
the smallest notion what it means."

"What is the good of saying that?" Mordaunt sounded impatient for the
first time. "You know as well as I do that if you had twenty thousand a
year you would spend twice the amount."

Rupert glanced at him sideways. "Hullo!" he said softly. "Beginning to
size us up, are you?"

"I'm beginning to think"--Mordaunt spoke with force--"that your sense of
honour is as much a minus quantity as your wealth."

"Honour!" Rupert looked up in genuine astonishment.

"Yes, honour," Mordaunt repeated grimly. "Do you call it honourable to
run up debts that you have no possibility of paying?"

Rupert turned crimson. "Look here! I'm not going to stay here to be
insulted," he said hotly. "I haven't asked for your help, and I'm damned
if I'd take it if you offered it--after that."

He was on his feet with the words, but Mordaunt remained seated. "You can
do as you like," he said quietly. "If you choose to take offence, that is
your affair. I helped you before because I knew you were hard up and I
was sorry for you. But there is no occasion for you to be hard up now.
And I am not sorry for you this time. I think you deserve to be kicked."

"You be damned!" said Rupert fiercely.

Mordaunt's brows went up. He looked full into the boy's heated face, and
though he said no word Rupert turned slowly white under the look. In the
dead silence that followed he stood as tense as though he expected a
blow. Yet Mordaunt made no movement, spoke no word.

It was Rupert who broke the silence finally, broke it hurriedly,
stammeringly, as though it had become unbearable. "All right, old chap. I
didn't mean quite that. But you--you shouldn't badger me. I'm not used to
it."

"Sit down," Mordaunt said.

He obeyed awkwardly, and to cover his discomfiture took up his glass to
drink. But before it reached his lips Mordaunt spoke again.

"Rupert!"

He started a little, and again the liquid splashed over.

"Put that down!" Mordaunt said.

Again dumbly he obeyed.

Mordaunt leaned forward and drew the glass out of his reach. "It has
never been my intention to badger you," he said. "But I reserve to myself
the privilege of telling you the truth. That is the fourth drink I have
seen you mix this afternoon."

"I'm perfectly sober," Rupert asserted quickly.

"Yes, I know. But you are not as cool as you might be." V