analyze the Major's attitude towards Gertie; but
what is certain is that the idea of anyone else making love to her was
simply intolerable. Certainly he did not treat her with any great
chivalry; he made her carry the heavier bundles on the tramp; he behaved
to her with considerable disrespect; he discussed her freely with his
friends on convivial occasions. But she was his property--his and no one
else's. He had had his suspicions before; he had come in quietly just
now on purpose, and he had found himself confronted by this very
peculiar little scene.

He looked at them both in silence. Then his lips sneered like a dog's.

"Pardon me," he said, with extreme politeness. "I appear to be
interrupting a private conversation."

No one said anything. Frank leaned his elbow on the mantelpiece.

"It was private, then?" continued the Major with all the poisonous
courtesy at his command.

"Yes; it was private," said Frank shortly.

The Major put his bowler hat carefully upon the table.

"Gertie, my dear," he said. "Will you be good enough to leave us for an
instant? I regret having to trouble you."

Gertie breathed rather rapidly for a moment or two. She was not
altogether displeased. She understood perfectly, and it seemed to her
rather pleasant that two men should get into this kind of situation over
her. She was aware that trouble would come to herself later, probably in
the form of personal chastisement, but to the particular kind of
feminine temperament that she possessed even a beating was not wholly
painful, and the cheap kind of drama in which she found herself was
wholly attractive. After an instant's pause, she cast towards Frank what
she believed to be a "proud" glance and marched out.

"If you've got much to say," said Frank rapidly, as the door closed,
"you'd better keep it for this evening. I've got to go in ... in two
minutes."

"Two minutes will be ample," said the Major softly.

Frank waited.

"When I find a friend," went on the other, "engaged in an apparently
exciting kind of conversation, which he informs me is private, with one
who is in the position of my wife--particularly when I catch a sentence
or two obviously not intended for my ears--I do not ask what was the
subject of the conversation, but I--"

"My dear man," said Frank, "do put it more simply."

The Major was caught, so to speak, full in the wind. His face twitched
with anger.

Then he flung an oath at Frank.

"If I catch yo