aid. "All is over. Shake hands, old man, for the
last time."

"Yes," replied he, "I will shake hands; for, as sure as I am here, I
bear no malice. But remember, if, by some impossible accident, we should
give the slip to these blackguards, I'll take the upper hand of you by
fair or foul."

"Oh," said I, "you weary me."

He seemed hurt, and walked away in silence to the foot of the stairs,
where he paused.

"You do not understand," said he. "I am not a swindler, and I guard
myself; that is all. It may weary you or not, Mr. Cassilis, I do not
care a rush; I speak for my own satisfaction, and not for your
amusement. You had better go upstairs and court the girl; for my part,
I stay here."

"And I stay with you," I returned. "Do you think I would steal a march,
even with your permission?"

"Frank," he said, smiling, "it's a pity you are an ass, for you have the
makings of a man. I think I must be _fey_ to-day; you cannot irritate me
even when you try. Do you know," he continued softly, "I think we are
the two most miserable men in England, you and I? we have got on to
thirty without wife or child, or so much as a shop to look after--poor,
pitiful, lost devils, both! And now we clash about a girl! As if there
were not several millions in the United Kingdom! Ah, Frank, Frank, the
one who loses this throw, be it you or me, he has my pity! It were
better for him--how does the Bible say?--that a millstone were hanged
about his neck and he were cast into the depth of the sea. Let us take a
drink," he concluded suddenly, but without any levity of tone.

I was touched by his words and consented. He sat down on the table in
the dining-room, and held up the glass of sherry to his eye.

"If you beat me, Frank," he said, "I shall take to drink. What will you
do, if it goes the other way?"

"God knows," I returned.

"Well," said he, "here is a toast in the meantime: '_Italia
irredenta!_'"

The remainder of the day was passed in the same dreadful tedium and
suspense. I laid the table for dinner, while Northmour and Clara
prepared the meal together in the kitchen. I could hear their talk as I
went to and fro, and was surprised to find it ran all the time upon
myself. Northmour again bracketed us together, and rallied Clara on a
choice of husbands; but he continued to speak of me with some feeling,
and uttered nothing to my prejudice unless he included himself in the
condemnation. This awakened a sense of gratitude in my hea