d Stevenson was not too meek," he reminded her. "Do you
remember his essay 'Ordered South'?"

She nodded.

"If I am quoting correctly, he says in speaking of a man's duties: 'He,
as a living man, has some to help, some to love, some to correct; it may
be, some to punish.' And," he was speaking to himself now rather than to
her, "the spirit of retaliation is strong within me."

She answered, "They've been very unjust to you, but I did not think
you'd noticed."

He laughed aloud.

"To me? Do you think I'd trouble myself for anything they might say or
do to me?"

Her eyes widened--

"You don't mean because of----"

"You? Exactly. Aren't we friends--the best of friends--Essie Tisdale?"

The quick tears filled her eyes.

"Sometimes," she answered chokingly, "I think you are my only friend."
She continued, "And that's the reason I want you to be careful. Don't
resent anything on my account----"

"That's the privilege of friendship," he answered with a reassuring
smile. "But why be careful--of whom?" There was some curtness in his
voice. "Symes?"

"Yes--of Symes."

"And why Symes?"

"You must remember that you are in a country where the people are poor
and struggling. Money is power, and influence, and friends. He has all,
and we have neither. I appreciate your reasons, and am more grateful
than I can tell you, but you would only hurt yourself, and Andy P. Symes
cannot be--reached; is that the word?"

Van Lennop's lips twitched ever so slightly and he turned his head away
that she might not see the betraying twinkle which he felt was in his
eyes. When his face was quite grave again, he replied--

"Yes, 'reached' is the word, but there are few of us who cannot be
reached when it comes to that, for somewhere there is some one who has
the 'long arm.'" Once more the shadow of a smile rested upon his lips.
"I still believe that Andy P. Symes might be 'reached.'"

"But," she argued, "it is his privilege to withdraw his friendship, if
he likes."

"But not his privilege to treat you with disrespect--to insult you both
openly and covertly. I like fair play, and Symes fights with a woman's
weapons. Listen, Essie Tisdale. I mean from now on to wear your colors
in the arena where _men_ fight--the arena where I have moderately
indulged my combative proclivities with the weapons I know best how to
use--the arena where there is no quarter given or received. The most
satisfying retaliation is to make money out of your