. Horrocleave used to defend
and justify himself by the use of that word "technical." Louis' polite
and unpremeditated threat enraged him to an extreme degree. He was the
savage infuriate. He cared for no consequences, even consequences to
himself. He hated Louis because Louis was spick and span, and quiet,
and because Louis had been palmed off on him by Louis' unscrupulous
respectable relatives as an honest man.

"Now thou'st done for thyself!" he cried, in the dialect. "Thou'st
done for thyself! And I'll have thee by the heels for embezzlement,
and blackmail as well." He waved his arms. "May God strike me if I
give thee any quarter after that! I'll--"

He stopped with open mouth, disturbed by the perception of a highly
strange phenomenon beyond the window. He looked and saw Rachel in the
yard. For a moment he thought that Louis had planned to use his wife
as a shield in the affair if the worst should come to the worst. But
Rachel's appearance simultaneously showed him that he was wrong. She
was the very mirror of happy confidence. And she seemed so young, and
so obviously just married; and so girlish and so womanish at the same
time; and her frock was so fresh, and her hat so pert against the
heavy disorder of the yard, and her eyes were unconsciously so
wistful--that Horrocleave caught his breath. He contrasted Rachel with
Mrs. Horrocleave, her complete antithesis, and at once felt very sorry
for himself and very scornful of Mrs. Horrocleave, and melting with
worshipful sympathy for Rachel.

"Yer wife's in the yard," he whispered in a different tone.

"My wife!" Louis was gravely alarmed; all his manner altered.

"Hast told her anything of this?"

"I should think I hadn't."

"Ye must pay me, and I'll give ye notice to leave," said Horrocleave,
quickly, in a queer, quiet voice. The wrath was driven out of him. The
mere apparition of Rachel had saved her husband.

A silence.

Rachel had disappeared. Then there was a distant tapping. Neither of
the men spoke nor moved. They could hear the outer door open and light
footfalls in the outer office.

"Anybody here?" It was Rachel's voice, timid.

"Come in, come in!" Horrocleave roared.

She entered, blushing, excusing herself, glancing from one to the
other, and by her spotless Easter finery emphasizing the squalor of
the den.

In a few minutes Horrocleave was saying to Rachel, rather
apologetically--

"Louis and I are going to part company, Mrs. Fores. I