s to front his visitor. "Now,
Brown, we haven't known one another long, but I think I
understand you, and I know I like you, and I hope you like me."

"Well, well, well," broke in Tom, "of course I like you, old
fellow, or else I shouldn't come poking after you, and wasting so
much of your time, and sitting on your cursed hard chairs in the
middle of the races. What has liking to do with 'The Choughs,' or
'The Choughs' with long faces? You ought to have had another
glass of ale there."

"I wish you had never had a glass of ale there," said Hardy,
bolting out his words as if they were red hot. "Brown you have no
right to go to that place."

"Why?" said Tom, sitting up in his chair and beginning to be
nettled.

"You know why," said Hardy, looking him full in the face, and
puffing out huge volumes of smoke. In spite of the bluntness of
the attack, there was a yearning look which spread over the
rugged brow, and shone out of the deep set eyes of the speaker,
which almost conquered Tom. But first pride, and then the
consciousness of what was coming next, which began to dawn on
him, rose in his heart. It was all he could do to meet that look
full, but he managed it, though he flushed to the roots of his
hair, as he simply repeated through his set teeth, "Why?"

"I say again," said Hardy, "you know why."

"I see what you mean," said Tom, slowly; "as you say, we have not
known one another long; long enough, though, I should have
thought, for you to have been more charitable. Why am I not to go
to 'The Cloughs'? Because there happens to be a pretty bar maid
there? All our crew go, and twenty other men besides."

"Yes; but do any of them go in the sort of way you do? Does she
look at anyone of them as she does at you?"

"How do I know?"

"That's not fair, or true, or like you, Brown," said Hardy,
getting up and beginning to walk up and down the room. "You _do_
know that that girl doesn't care a straw for the other men who go
there. You _do_ know that she is beginning to care for you."

"You seem to know a great deal about it," said Tom; "I don't
believe you were ever there before two days ago."

"No, I never was."

"Then I think you needn't be quite so quick at finding fault. If
there were anything I didn't wish you to see, do you think I
should have taken you there? I tell you she is quite able to take
care of herself."

"So I believe," said Hardy; "if she were a mere giddy, light
girl, setting her cap at eve