day, shore."

He said "Come in" to the short, harsh rap at the door, and Sanders
entered, slamming the door behind him. His face was hostile but not
murderous; as usual his bowler was a-cock on his head.

"See here, Fairfax, she sent me. She ain't hurt much, just a damned
nasty bruise. I gave her my promise not to stick a knife into you."

Fairfax pushed up his sleeves; his arms were white as snow. He had lost
flesh.

"I'll fight you right here, Sanders," he said, "and we'll not make a
sound. I'm not as fit as you are, but I'll punish you less for that
reason. Come on."

Molly's lover put his hand in his pockets because he was afraid to leave
them out. He shook his head.

"I gave the girl my word, and I'd rather please Molly than break every
bone in your ---- body, and that's saying a good deal. And here on my
own hook I want to ask you a plain question."

"I shan't answer it, Sandy."

The other with singular patience returned, "All right. I'm going to ask
just the same. Are you ... will you ... what the hell...!" he exclaimed.

"Don't go on," said Fairfax; "shut up and go home."

Instead, Sanders took off his hat, a sign of unusual excitement with
him. He wiped his face and said huskily--

"Ain't got a chance in the world alongside you, Fairfax, and I'd go down
and crawl for her. That's how _I'm_ about her, mate." His face broke up.

Fairfax answered quietly, "That's all right, Sanders--that's all right."

The engineer went on: "I want you to clear out and give me my show,
Tony. I had one before you turned up in Nut Street."

"Why, I can't do that, Sanders," said Fairfax gently; "you oughtn't to
ask a man to do that. Don't you see how it will look to the girl?"

The other man's face whitened; he couldn't believe his ears.

"Why, you don't mean to say...?" he wondered slowly.

The figure under the jasmine vine, the proud form and face of his
mother, grew smaller, paler as does the fading landscape when we look
back upon it from the hill we have climbed.

"The doctor told me Molly had saved my life," Fairfax said. "They have
turned her out of doors in ---- Street. Now you must let me make good as
far as I can."

The young man's blue eyes rested quietly on the blood-shot eyes of his
visitor. Sanders made no direct answer; he bit his moustache,
considered his companion a second, and clapping his hat on his head,
tore the door open.

"You are doing her a worse wrong than any," he stammered; "she ain'