ed to come a sudden flash in his brain; he leaned from the
window and shouted an address to the cabman. His hat had fallen beside
him, but he did not notice its absence on his fevered head.

"I'll begin with _him_!" he repeated with a thick laugh; "I'll settle
with him first. Now we're going to see! Now we'll find out about several
matters--or I'll break his neck off!--or I'll twist it off--wring it
off!"

And he beat on his knees with his fists, railing, raging, talking
incoherently, laughing sometimes, sometimes listening, as though,
suddenly, near him, a voice was mocking him.

He had a pocket full of bills, crushed up; some he gave to the cabman,
some he dropped as he stuffed the others into his pockets, stumbled
toward a bronze-and-glass grille, and rang. The cabman brought him his
hat, put it on him, gathered up the dropped money, and drove off with
his tongue in his cheek.

Quest rang again; the door opened; he gave his card to the servant, and
stealthily followed him upstairs over the velvet carpet.

Dysart, in a velvet dressing-gown knotted in close about his waist,
looked over the servant's shoulders and saw Quest standing there in the
hall, leering at him.

For a moment nobody spoke; Dysart took the offered card mechanically,
glanced at it, looked at Quest, and nodded dismissal to the servant.

When he and the other man stood alone, he said in a low, uncertain
voice:

"Get out of here!"

But Quest pushed past him into the lighted room beyond, and Dysart
followed, very pale.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I've asked you questions, too," retorted Quest. "Answer mine first."

"Will you get out of here?"

"Not until I take my answer with me."

"You're drunk!"

"I know it. Look out!"

Dysart moistened his bloodless lips.

"What do you want to know?" And, as Quest shouted a question at him:
"Keep quiet! Speak lower, I tell you. My father is in the next room."

"What in hell do I care for your father? Answer me or I'll choke it out
of you! Answer me now, you dancing blackguard! I've got you; I want my
answer, and you've got to give it to me!"

"If you don't lower your voice," said Dysart between his teeth, "I'll
throw you out of that window!"

"Lower my voice? Why? Because the old fox might hear the young one yap!
What do I care for you or your doddering family----"

He went down with a sharp crash; Dysart struck him again as he rose;
then, beside himself, rained blows on him,