like that of a man who is
having a hard fight with himself. It was a long two minutes before he
spoke.

"See here, Jock!" said he. "This woman is fooling us both. D'you hear,
man? she's fooling us both! She loves you at West Inch, and she loves
me on the braeside; and in her devil's heart she cares a whin-blossom
for neither of us. Let's join hands, man, and send the hellfire hussy
to the right-about!"

But this was too much. I could not curse her in my own heart, and still
less could I stand by and hear another man do it; not though it was my
oldest friend.

"Don't you call names!" I cried.

"Ach! you sicken me with your soft talk! I'll call her what she should
be called!"

"Will you, though?" said I, lugging off my coat. "Look you here, Jim
Horscroft, if you say another word against her, I'll lick it down your
throat, if you were as big as Berwick Castle! Try me and see!"

He peeled off his coat down to the elbows, and then he slowly put it on
again.

"Don't be such a fool, Jock!" said he. "Four stone and five inches is
more than mortal man can give. Two old friends mustn't fall out over
such a--well, there, I won't say it. Well, by the Lord, if she hasn't
nerve for ten!"

I looked round, and there she was, not twenty yards from us, looking as
cool and easy and placid as we were hot and fevered.

"I was nearly home," said she, "when I saw you two boys very busy
talking, so I came all the way back to know what it was about."

Horscroft took a run forward and caught her by the wrist. She gave a
little squeal at the sight of his face, but he pulled her towards where
I was standing.

"Now, Jock, we've had tomfoolery enough," said he. "Here she is. Shall
we take her word as to which she likes? She can't trick us now that
we're both together."

"I am willing," said I.

"And so am I. If she goes for you, I swear I'll never so much as turn
an eye on her again. Will you do as much for me?"

"Yes, I will."

"Well then, look here, you! We're both honest men, and friends, and we
tell each other no lies; and so we know your double ways. I know what
you said last night. Jock knows what you said to-day. D'you see?
Now then, fair and square! Here we are before you; once and have done.
Which is it to be, Jock or me?"

You would have thought that the woman would have been overwhelmed with
shame, but instead of that her eyes were shining with delight; and I
dare wager that it was the proudes