they
say at home?"

"Yes," said Vane, echoing the other's words; "what will they say at
home? You mean over in Trinidad?"

Distin bowed his head, his nervous-looking face working from the anguish
he felt, and his lower lip quivering with the mental agony and shame.

"Trinidad's a long way off," said Vane, thoughtfully.

"No place is far off now," cried Distin, passionately. "And if it were
ten times as far, what then? Don't I know it? Do you think I can ever
forget it all?"

"No," said Vane; "you never will. I suppose it must have made you
uncomfortable all along."

"Don't--don't talk about it," cried Distin, piteously. "There, come
along, you must be rested now."

"Look here," cried one of the lads, shrilly; "if you tak' us up to
Greytrop we'll tell all about it."

Vane gave another bump.

"What's the good of that, stupid," he said. "Mr Distin would tell
first."

"Yes," said the young fellow firmly; and as Vane looked at his
determined countenance, he felt as if he had never liked him so well
before; "I shall tell first. Come what may, Vane Lee, you shan't have
it against me that I did not speak out openly. Now, come."

"Not yet," said Vane, stubbornly. "I'm resting."

There was a pause, and one of the gipsy lads began to snivel.

"Oh, pray, good, kind gen'l'man, let us go this time, and we'll never do
so any more. Do, please, good gen'l'man, let us go."

"If you don't stop that miserable, pitiful, cowardly howling, you cur,"
cried Vane so savagely that the lad stared at him with his mouth open,
"I'll gag that mouth of yours with moss. Lie still!"

Vane literally yelled this last order at the lad, and the mouth shut
with a snap, while its owner stared at him in dismay.

"I only wish I could have you standing up and lying down too," cried
Vane, "or that it wasn't cowardly to punch your wretched heads now you
are down."

There was another pause, during which the lowermost boy began to groan,
but he ceased upon Vane giving a fresh bump.

"I shall be obliged now, Mr Lee," said Distin, quickly, "by your
helping to tie those two scoundrels."

"No more a scoundrel than you are," said the lowermost boy fiercely; and
Vane gave another bump.

"Don't hurt him," said Distin. "He only spoke the truth. Come, let's
turn this one over."

Vane did not stir, but sat staring hard in Distin's face.

"Look here," he said at last; "you mean what you say about the police
and Mr Syme?"

"Yes, of