ry man who came in, it wouldn't
matter so much--for her at any rate. She can take care of herself
well enough so far as the rest are concerned, but you know it
isn't so with you. You know it now, Brown; tell the truth; anyone
with half an eye can see it."

"You seem to have made pretty good use of your eyes in these two
nights, anyhow," said Tom.

"I don't mind your sneers, Brown," said Hardy as he tramped up
and down with his arms locked behind him; "I have taken on myself
to speak to you about this; I should be no true friend if I
shirked it. I'm four years older than you, and have seen more of
the world and of this place than you. You sha'n't go on with this
folly, this sin, for want of warning."

"So it seems," said Tom doggedly. "Now I think I've had warning
enough; suppose we drop the subject."

Hardy stopped his walk, and turned on Tom with a look of anger.
"Not yet," he said, firmly; "you know best how and why you have
done it, but you know that somehow or other you have made that
girl like you."

"Suppose I have, what then; whose business is that but mine and
hers?"

"It's the business of everyone who won't stand by and see the
devil's game played under his nose if he can hinder it."

"What right have you to talk about the devil's game to me?" said
Tom. "I'll tell you what; if you and I are to keep friends we had
better drop this subject."

"If we are to keep friends we must go to the bottom of it. There
are only two endings to this sort of business and you know it as
well as I."

"A right and wrong one, eh? and because you call me your friend
you assume that my end will be the wrong one."

"I do call you my friend, and I say the end must be the wrong one
here. There's no right end. Think of your family. You don't mean
to say--you dare not tell me, that you will marry her?"

"I _dare_ not tell you!" said Tom, starting up in his turn; "I
dare tell you or any man anything I please. But I won't tell you
or any man anything on compulsion."

"I repeat," went on Hardy, "you _dare_ not say you mean to marry
her. You don't mean it--and, as you don't, to kiss her as you did
to-night--"

"So you were sneaking behind to watch me!" burst out Tom, chafing
with rage, and glad to find any handle for a quarrel. The two men
stood fronting one another, the younger writhing with the sense
of shame and outraged pride, and longing for a fierce answer--a
blow--anything, to give vent to the furies which were teari