-gun, please, and pick up thicky bird."

Green thought a moment, then he handed over the gun and picked up the
pheasant and began on Borlase most forcible. He pleaded their future
relationship, the disgrace, the slur on his character and the shame to his
girl; and Samuel listened very patient and granted 'twas a melancholy and
most misfortunate affair; but he didn't see no way out for either of 'em.

"Duty's duty," he kept saying in his big voice, like a bell tolling.

And then Chawner changed his note and grew a bit vicious.

"So be it, Borlase," he said. "If you're that sort of fool, I'll go along
with you this instant moment to the police-station; but mark this: so sure
as a key's turned on me this night, by yonder hunter's moon I swear as you
shan't marry Cicely. That's so sure as I stand here, your captive. If
there's a conviction against me, you'll whistle for that woman, and God's
my judge I'm telling truth."

Well, Samuel weren't so put about at that as the other apparently expected
to find him. He well knew the size of Cicely's love for him, and he'd
heard her praise his straightness a thousand times. 'Twas true enough she
set great store on her father; but love's love, and Sam was quite smart
enough to know that love for a parent goes down the wind afore love for a
lover. He looked forward, therefore, and weren't shook of his purpose by
no threats.

"That's as may be," he said, "and you've no right, nor yet reason, to
speak for her. She loves me as never a woman loved a man, and if she saw
me put my love afore my duty, I'll tell you what she'd say--she'd say
she'd been mistook in me."

"And don't she love me, you pudding-faced fool!" cried Chawner. "Don't she
set her father higher than a man she hasn't known a year? Be fair to
yourself, Borlase, or else you'll lose the hope of your life. My honour's
her honour and my reputation is her reputation. She thinks the world of me
and she's a terrible proud woman; and you can take it from me so sure as
death that shell hold my side against you and cast you off if you do this
fatal thing."

Samuel chewed over that a minute; but he decided as he didn't believe a
word of it.

"We haven't kept company in vain for ten months and four days, Chawner
Green," he said. "I mean me and your girl. She's the soul of upright
dealing, and if you was a better man, you'd know it so well as I do."

"She may be," said the other, "but she'll honour her father's name afore
she'l