y dressing-room, and
said good-bye to him. "Jack," said I, "in this little contest which
there has been between us, you have got the better in everything."

"Nobody thought so when they heard your answer to Sir Ferdinando last
night."

"Well, yes; I think I managed to answer him. But I haven't got the
better of you."

"I didn't mean anything," said Jack, in a melancholy tone of voice.
"It was all Eva's doing. I never cared twopence whether the old
fellows were deposited or not, but I do think that if your own time
had come near, I shouldn't have liked it much."

"Why not? why not? If you will only think of the matter all round,
you will find that it is all a false sentiment."

"I should not like it," said Jack, with determination.

"Yes, you would, after you had got used to it." Here he looked very
incredulous. "What I mean is, Jack, that when sons were accustomed
to see their fathers deposited at a certain age, and were aware that
they were treated with every respect, that kind of feeling which
you describe would wear off. You would have the idea that a kind of
honour was done to your parents."

"When I knew that somebody was going to kill him on the next day, how
would it be then?"

"You might retire for a few hours to your thoughts,--going into
mourning, as it were." Jack shook his head. "But, at any rate, in
this matter of Mr Crasweller you have got the better of me."

"That was for Eva's sake."

"I suppose so. But I wish to make you understand, now that I am going
to England, and may possibly never return to these shores again--"

"Don't say that, father."

"Well, yes; I shall have much to do there, and of course it may be
that I shall not come back, and I wish you to understand that I do
not part from you in the least in anger. What you have done shows a
high spirit, and great devotion to the girl."

"It was not quite altogether for Eva either."

"What then?" I demanded.

"Well, I don't know. The two things went together, as it were. If
there had been no question about the Fixed Period, I do think I could
have cut out Abraham Grundle. And as for Sir Kennington Oval, I am
beginning to believe that that was all Eva's pretence. I like Sir
Kennington, but Eva never cared a button for him. She had taken to
me because I had shown myself an anti-Fixed-Period man. I did it at
first simply because I hated Grundle. Grundle wanted to fix-period
old Crasweller for the sake of the property; and therefore I