t, exclude
Archelaus, to become better friends or at least more tolerant of each
other. He suggested his idea to Phoebe, though characteristically he did
not refer to her attack of faintness. She looked at him in a scared way
and then murmured something about thinking it was best to wait till
Archelaus made the first advance, and to this Ishmael rather reluctantly
agreed.

They had not long to wait; the next evening saw Archelaus at Cloom. An
oddly-altered Archelaus, so much was soon plain. Even in appearance he
seemed changed; something of his golden beauty had tarnished at last,
and a faint grizzle showed here and there in his curly hair, while the
ruddy face had become weather-beaten. He talked a good deal--about his
adventures in California, his bad luck with the gold, and the beauty of
the Californian women, especially those with a Spanish strain. Of these
last he spoke so freely, notably of some camp-followers, that Ishmael
reminded him sharply of Phoebe's presence. Archelaus glanced from one
to the other, from Ishmael's irritated eyes to Phoebe's averted cheek,
with a slight smile, before answering.

"Ah! I forgot that Phoebe's not like that kind o' women a man gets
used to out there," he said slowly. "Besides, of course, she'm a lady
now...."

The apology was worse than the offence; but Ishmael swallowed his anger
for Phoebe's sake, though he was vexed with her too for staying there
to hang upon Archelaus's doubtful talk. Soon after, when Phoebe had
brewed hot milk-punch and it had been drunk by the two men, Archelaus
rose to go. He went out to see if his trap were ready, and Ishmael went
also. The boy had gone home for the night, and Ishmael lit a lantern and
went into the stable to fetch the horse. He supposed Archelaus was with
him, but found he had not followed so far; neither was he by the cart.
Ishmael put the horse in and brought it through into the courtyard, and
the same moment saw Archelaus appearing from the kitchen door.

"Just haven a bit of chat wi' Katie," said Archelaus. "She'm a rare one
for gossip, she is." Then, as he pretended to busy himself with
something at the horse's head, he spoke again.

"Ishmael," he began, "I knaw how it is wi' you. You think on when my
fancy was took by your lil' missus, and you don't knaw how I'm thinken
about things. Well, I'm a rough chap, but I'm honest, b'lieve, and I can
tell 'ee there's no wound in my heart, and the soreness there was
against 'ee has go