the bamboo fire-screen and rested his elbows
lightly upon it and glowered at the all-unconscious curate, murder in
his heart.

"Jennie is very fond of you, Jack," said Mr. Tuptale, caging his
fingers. "She has a warm and sympathetic nature, a big heart, and I can
quite understand how deeply concerned she is in the brave fight you are
making. I want you to accept me as a friend, a real friend. I know men
and I know what temptations are, early associations, acquired habits.
Jack, my boy, there is nothing really wrong in you. I saw that the
moment you came into the room."

"Who said there was--pray?" said Skippy, whose hands were trembling with
rage.

Mr. Tuptale looked up quickly, frowned and said:

"Jennie has told me all--naturally."

"She told you I gambled."

"She did."

"She told you I drank, and she told you I smoked."

"She did, of course, and I consider it was her duty to do so."

"Well is there anything wrong in that, I ask you?"

"Anything wrong in gambling, drunkenness, steeping oneself with tobacco
until your hand shakes like a leaf?" said Mr. Tuptale, rising.

"Exactly. Do you know your ten commandments, sir?"

"Are you insulting me, sir?" said the curate, yielding to a perfectly
natural irritation.

"Kindly point out to me in the ten commandments where any habit of mine
is forbidden," said Skippy with the most impressive of declamatory
attitudes.

Mr. Tuptale's jaw dropped, twice he tried to answer and twice remained
inarticulate.

Skippy possessed himself of his hat and bowed in scorn.

"You will kindly restore to Miss Tupper this pin," he said, producing it
after a struggle with his tie. "Also inform her that I shall immediately
send back to her other articles I need not now specify. Thank you for
your interest in my case but it is quite unnecessary--quite. I can stand
by the ten commandments. Good night."

He went down the scrunching gravel and slammed the gate.

"And there is more, sir," he exclaimed aloud, forgetting that he was now
alone. "One thing more. You can tell Miss Tupper that even among the
lowest of my associates, gamblers and drunkards and race-track sharks
though they be, a promise given is sacred, sacred, sir, and the man who
breaks it is, is, is--"

But here rage quite overtook him and he picked up a stone and flung it
at an inoffensive tree.

"It's all Snorky!" he said in the swift progress of moods. "I knew he'd
overdo it! Holy Mike, what in Sam Hill did he t