Your what?"

"My present from over the way. It's one of Webley and Scott's best
efforts, you know. I had one like it, only the smaller size, when I was
out in Egypt."

I thought he had forgotten about the concrete weapon, or rather that he
did not know I had picked it up, but expected to find it in the corner
where it had fallen when I knocked it out of his hand. My own hand
closed upon it in my side pocket, as I turned to face Uvo Delavoye, who
had somehow slipped between me and the door.

"So it's not your first revolver?" I temporised.

"No; you've got to have one out there."

"But you didn't think it worth bringing home?"

I was trying to recall his very first remarks about revolvers, after the
burglary the night before. And Delavoye read the attempt with his
startling insight, and helped me out with impulsive candour.

"You're quite right! I did say I hated the beastly things, but it was a
weakness I always meant to get over, and now I have. Do you mind giving
me my Webley?"

"What did you do with the other one, Uvo?"

"Pitched it into the Nile, since you're so beastly inquisitive. But I
was full of fever at the time, and broken-hearted at cracking up. It's
quite different now."

"Is it?"

"Of course it is. I'm not going to do anything rotten. I was only
ragging you. Don't be a silly ass, Gillon!"

He was holding out his hand. His face had darkened, but his eyes blazed.

"I'm sorry, Uvo----"

"I'll make you sorrier!" he hissed.

"I can't help it. You couldn't trust yourself in your fever. It's your
own fault if I can't trust you now."

He glared at me like a caged tiger, and now I knew the wild sly look in
his eyes. It was the look of the Kneller portrait at Hampton Court, but
there was no time to think twice about that, with the tiger in him
gnashing its teeth in very impotence.

"Oh, very well! You don't get out of this, with my property, if I can
help it! I know I'm no match for you in brute strength, but you lay a
finger on me if you dare!"

He was almost foaming at the mouth, and the trouble was that I could
understand his frenzy perfectly. I would not have stood my own behaviour
from any man, and yet I could not have behaved differently if I had
tried, for his insensate fury was all of a piece with his delirious
talk. I kept my eye on him as on a wild beast, and I saw his roving
round the uncouth weapons on the wall. He was edging nearer to them; his
hand was raised to pluck one down,