t at once. It
is all about that child indoors, I suppose; I never heard of--"

"At all events, I have told him what I think of him," says Roger,
panting. "Low, underhand sneak."

"What?" says Stephen, fiercely, making a step forward.

"I insist on knowing what it is all about," says Sir Mark,
authoritatively. "Of course, one understands a disgraceful scene like
this _always_ means a woman, but _is_ it Dulce?"

"To come here under the guise of friendship and deliberately make love
to the girl to whom he _knew_ I was engaged; was there ever such
treachery since the world began?" says Roger. "Would any fellow, with
any claim to the word gentleman, do that? Now, I leave it to you, Gore?"

"My dear fellow, you must remember it is apparent to everybody that
_you_ don't want her," says Sir Mark, taking Stephen's part, though in
his soul he is on Roger's side. "Would you act the part of the dog in
the manger? You don't affect her yourself, yet nobody else must look at
her. She has found out, I _suppose_, that she prefers some one else to
you. Women, as a rule, will choose for themselves, and who shall blame
them! When, later on, you choose for yourself too, you will be very
grateful to her and Stephen for this hour. Just now self-love is
disagreeing with you. If I were you I should clear out of this for a
bit."

"Oh? as for _that_, I'm going," says Roger; "but I'm glad I have had a
chance of speaking to him before I go; he undermined me, and poisoned
her mind with regard to me from first to last. I wasn't _quite_ blind,
though I said nothing. He spoke evilly of me behind my back, I have no
doubt, and maligned me most falsely when there was a chance; a more
blackguardly transaction--"

"You shall answer to me for this," says Gower, in a white rage; "you
have lied in your statement from beginning to end."

"No one shall answer for anything," says Sir Mark, promptly; "I won't
hear of it. Are you both gentlemen! and to dream of dragging a woman's
name into a scandalous quarrel of this kind? For shame! Take my advice,
Roger, and go abroad, or to the--or anywhere you like for a month or
two, and see what that will do for you. You know you are only trying to
make a grievance out of nothing; you never _really_ cared for her, as a
man should for his wife." Sir Mark's eyes sadden as he says this, and an
irrepressible sigh escapes him; is he thinking of the time when he could
have cared for a woman with all his heart and soul?