each thinking more intently than before how he might thrust the other
from his path; each more certain, with every moment, that, the other
removed, his path to the goal was clear and open. Neither gave a
thought to Colonel Sullivan, sleeping the sleep of exhaustion upstairs:
Payton, because the Colonel seemed to him a middle-aged man, plain and
grey; and Asgill, because a more immediate and pressing jealousy had
thrust his mistrust of the Colonel from his mind.

There was claret on the table, and the Major, dull and bored, and
resenting the other's vigilance, did not spare it. When he rose to his
feet to retire he was heated and flushed, but not drunk. "Where's that
young cub?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Asgill shrugged his shoulders. "I can't hope to fill his place," he
said with a smooth smile. "But I will be doing the honours as well as I
can.'

"You are d----d officious, it seems to me," Payton growled. And then,
more loudly, "I am going to bed," he said.

"In his absence," Asgill answered, with mock politeness, "I will have
the honour of lighting you."

"You needn't trouble."

"Faith, and it's no trouble at all," Asgill replied in the same tone.
And, taking two of the candles from the table, he preceded the
Englishman up the stairs.

The gradual ascent of the lights and the men's mounting footsteps
should have given Flavia warning of their coming. But either she
disdained concealment or she was thinking of other things, for when
they entered the passage beyond the landing they espied the girl
standing, in what had been darkness, outside the Colonel's door. A pang
shot through Asgill's heart, and he drew in his breath.

She raised her hand. "Ah," she said, "he has been crying out! But I
think it was in his sleep. Will you be making as little noise as you
can?"

Asgill did not answer, but Payton did. "Happy man!" he said. And, being
in his cups, he said it in such a tone and with such a look that a deep
blush crimsoned the girl's face.

Her eyes snapped. "Good-night," she said coldly.

Asgill continued to keep silence. Unfortunately Payton did not. "Wish
I'd such a guardian!" he said with a chuckle. "I'd be a happy man
then!" And, without thinking what he did, having Asgill's air in his
head, he hummed, with his head on one side and a grin on his face:

"They tried put the comether on Judy McBain:
One, two, three, one, two, three!
Cotter and crowder and Paddy O'Hea;
For who