It is telling me that Berande is not big enough for
the pair of us. Now let me tell you that the Solomon Islands is not big
enough for the pair of us. This thing's got to be settled between us,
and it may as well be settled right here and now."

"I can understand your fire-eating manners as being natural to you,"
Sheldon went on wearily, "but why you should try them on me is what I
can't comprehend. You surely don't want to quarrel with me."

"I certainly do."

"But what in heaven's name for?"

Tudor surveyed him with withering disgust.

"You haven't the soul of a louse. I suppose any man could make love to
your wife--"

"But I have no wife," Sheldon interrupted.

"Then you ought to have. The situation is outrageous. You might at
least marry her, as I am honourably willing to do."

For the first time Sheldon's rising anger boiled over.

"You--" he began violently, then abruptly caught control of himself and
went on soothingly, "you'd better take a drink and think it over. That's
my advice to you. Of course, when you do get cool, after talking to me
in this fashion you won't want to stay on any longer, so while you're
getting that drink I'll call the boat's-crew and launch a boat. You'll
be in Tulagi by eight this evening."

He turned toward the door, as if to put his words into execution, but the
other caught him by the shoulder and twirled him around.

"Look here, Sheldon, I told you the Solomons were too small for the pair
of us, and I meant it."

"Is that an offer to buy Berande, lock, stock, and barrel?" Sheldon
queried.

"No, it isn't. It's an invitation to fight."

"But what the devil do you want to fight with me for?" Sheldon's
irritation was growing at the other's persistence. "I've no quarrel with
you. And what quarrel can you have with me? I have never interfered
with you. You were my guest. Miss Lackland is my partner. If you saw
fit to make love to her, and somehow failed to succeed, why should you
want to fight with me? This is the twentieth century, my dear fellow,
and duelling went out of fashion before you and I were born."

"You began the row," Tudor doggedly asserted. "You gave me to understand
that it was time for me to go. You fired me out of your house, in short.
And then you have the cheek to want to know why I am starting the row. It
won't do, I tell you. You started it, and I am going to see it through."

Sheldon smiled tolerantly and proceeded to light