ained very little to talk over.

"The main thing, of course, is to squelch William's last hopes of any
Rhine castles," continued Malcourt, laughing. "If you feel like it
to-day I'll bring over the plans as you sketched them."

"In a day or two," nodded Hamil.

"Or perhaps you will lunch with m--with us, and you and I can go over
the things comfortably."

But he saw by the scarcely perceptible change in Hamil's face that there
were to be no such relations between them, informal or otherwise; and he
went on quietly, closing his own suggestion:

"Or, if you like, we'll get Portlaw some morning after his breakfast,
and end the whole matter by laying down the law to him."

"That would be perfectly agreeable to me," said Hamil. He spoke as
though fatigued, and he looked it as he moved toward his house, using
his walking-stick. Malcourt accompanied him to the road.

"Hamil," he said coolly, "may I suggest something?"

The other turned an expressionless face toward him: "What do you wish to
suggest?"

"That, some day when you feel physically better, I'd like to go over one
or two matters with you--privately--"

"What matters?"

"They concern you and myself."

"I know of no private matters which concern you and myself--or are ever
likely to."

Malcourt's face darkened. "I think I warned you once that one day you
would misunderstand my friendship for you."

Hamil straightened up, looking him coldly in the eye.

"Malcourt," he said, "there is no reason for the slightest pretence
between us. I don't like you; I don't dislike you; I simply don't take
you into consideration at all. The accident of your intrusion into a
woman's life is not going to make any more difference to me than it has
already made, nor can it affect my complete liberty and freedom to do
and say what I choose."

"I am not sure that I understand you, Hamil."

"Well, you can certainly understand this: that my regard for--Mrs.
Malcourt--does not extend to you; that it is neither modified nor
hampered by the fact that you happen to exist, or that she now bears
your name."

Malcourt's face had lost its colour. He began slowly:

"There is no reason, I think--"

"I don't care what you think!" said Hamil. "It is not of any consequence
to me, nor will it govern me in any manner." He made a contemptuous
gesture toward the garden. "Those flower-beds and gravel walks in
there--I don't know whether they belong to you or to Mrs. Malcourt or to
Portla