Heseemedannoyedbythequestion，butadmittedwithreluctancethathehadalittle。
“Well，“Icontinued，“itistheirmoneytheyareafter，isitnot？
Whynotgiveituptothem？“
“Ah！“repliedhe，shakinghishead，“Ihavetriedthatalready，Mr。
Cassilis；andalas！thatitshouldbeso，butitisbloodtheywant。“
“Huddlestone，that’salittlelessthanfair，“saidNorthmour。
“Youshouldmentionthatwhatyouofferedthemwasupwardoftwohundredthousandshort。Thedeficitisworthareference；itisforwhattheycallacoolsum，Frank。Then，yousee，thefellowsreasonintheirclearItalianway；anditseemstothem，asindeeditseemstome，thattheymayjustaswellhavebothwhilethey’reaboutit——moneyandbloodtogether，byGeorge，andnomoretroublefortheextrapleasure。“
“Isitinthepavilion？“Iasked。
“Itis；andIwishitwereinthebottomoftheseainstead，“saidNorthmour；andthensuddenly——“Whatareyoumakingfacesatmefor？“hecriedtoMr。Huddlestone，onwhomIhadunconsciouslyturnedmyback。“DoyouthinkCassiliswouldsellyou？“
Mr。Huddlestoneprotestedthatnothinghadbeenfurtherfromhismind。
“Itisagoodthing，“retortedNorthmourinhisugliestmanner。
“Youmightendbywearyingus。Whatwereyougoingtosay？“headded，turningtome。
“Iwasgoingtoproposeanoccupationfortheafternoon，“saidI。
“Letuscarrythatmoneyout，piecebypiece，andlayitdownbeforethepaviliondoor。Ifthecarbonaricome，why，it’stheirsatanyrate。“
“No，no，“criedMr。Huddlestone；“itdoesnot，itcannot，belongtothem！Itshouldbedistributedprorataamongallmycreditors。“
“Comenow，Huddlestone，“saidNorthmour，“noneofthat。“
“Well，butmydaughter，“moanedthewretchedman。“Yourdaughterwilldowellenough。Herearetwosuitors，CassilisandI，neitherofusbeggars，betweenwhomshehastochoose。Andasforyourself，tomakeanendofarguments，youhavenorighttoafarthing，and，unlessI’mmuchmistaken，youaregoingtodie。“
Itwascertainlyverycruellysaid；butMr。Huddlestonewasamanwhoattractedlittlesympathy；and，althoughIsawhimwinceandshudder，Imentallyindorsedtherebuke；nay，Iaddedacontributionofmyown。
“NorthmourandI，“Isaid，“arewillingenoughtohelpyoutosaveyourlife，butnottoescapewithstolenproperty。“
Hestruggledforawhilewithhimself，asthoughhewereonthepointofgivingwaytoanger，butprudencehadthebestofthecontroversy。
“Mydearboys，“hesaid，“dowithmeormymoneywhatyouwill。I
leaveallinyourhands。Letmecomposemyself。“
Andsowelefthim，gladlyenoughIamsure。
ThelastthatIsaw，hehadoncemoretakenuphisgreatBible，andwithtremuloushandswasadjustinghisspectaclestoread。
VII
Therecollectionofthatafternoonwillalwaysbegravenonmymind。NorthmourandIwerepersuadedthatanattackwasimminent；
andifithadbeeninourpowertoalterinanywaytheorderofevents，thatpowerwouldhavebeenusedtoprecipitateratherthandelaythecriticalmoment。Theworstwastobeanticipated；yetwecouldconceivenoextremitysomiserableasthesuspensewewerenowsuffering。Ihaveneverbeenaneager，thoughalwaysagreat，reader；butIneverknewbookssoinsipidasthosewhichItookupandcastasidethatafternooninthepavilion。Eventalkbecameimpossible，asthehourswenton。Oneorotherwasalwayslisteningforsomesound，orpeeringfromanupstairswindowoverthelinks。Andyetnotasignindicatedthepresenceofourfoes。
Wedebatedoverandoveragainmyproposalwithregardtothemoney；andhadwebeenincompletepossessionofourfaculties，I
amsureweshouldhavecondemneditasunwise；butwewereflusteredwithalarm，graspedatastraw，anddetermined，althoughitwasasmuchasadvertisingMr。Huddlestone’spresenceinthepavilion，tocarrymyproposalintoeffect。
Thesumwaspartinspecie，partinbankpaper，andpartincircularnotespayabletothenameofJamesGregory。Wetookitout，countedit，incloseditoncemoreinadispatchboxbelongingtoNorthmour，andpreparedaletterinItalianwhichhetiedtothehandle。Itwassignedbybothofusunderoath，anddeclaredthatthiswasallthemoneywhichhadescapedthefailureofthehouseofHuddlestone。Thiswas，perhaps，themaddestactioneverperpetratedbytwopersonsprofessingtobesane。Hadthedispatchboxfallenintootherhandsthanthoseforwhichitwasintended，westoodcriminallyconvictedonourownwrittentestimony；but，asIhavesaid，wewereneitherofusinaconditiontojudgesoberly，andhadathirstforactionthatdroveustodosomething，rightorwrong，ratherthanenduretheagonyofwaiting。Moreover，aswewerebothconvincedthatthehollowsofthelinkswerealivewithhiddenspiesuponourmovements，wehopedthatourappearancewiththeboxmightleadtoaparley，and，perhaps，acompromise。
Itwasnearlythreewhenweissuedfromthepavilion。Therainhadtakenoff；thesunshonequitecheerfully。Ihadneverseenthegullsflysocloseaboutthehouseorapproachsofearlesslytohumanbeings。Ontheverydoorsteponeflappedheavilypastourheads，anduttereditswildcryinmyveryear。
“Thereisanomenforyou，“saidNorthmour，wholikeallfreethinkerswasmuchundertheinfluenceofsuperstition。“Theythinkwearealreadydead。“
Imadesomelightrejoinder，butitwaswithhalfmyheart；forthecircumstancehadimpressedme。
Ayardortwobeforethegate，onapatchofsmoothturf，wesetdownthedispatchbox；andNorthmourwavedawhitehandkerchiefoverhishead。Nothingreplied。Weraisedourvoices，andcriedaloudinItalianthatwewerethereasambassadorstoarrangethequarrel，butthestillnessremainedunbrokensavebytheseagullsandthesurf。Ihadaweightatmyheartwhenwedesisted；andI
sawthatevenNorthmourwasunusuallypale。Helookedoverhisshouldernervously，asthoughhefearedthatsomeonehadcreptbetweenhimandthepaviliondoor。
“ByGod，“hesaidinawhisper，“thisistoomuchforme！“
Irepliedinthesamekey:“Supposethereshouldbenone，afterall！“
“Lookthere，“hereturned，noddingwithhishead，asthoughhehadbeenafraidtopoint。
Iglancedinthedirectionindicated；andthere，fromthenorthernquarteroftheSea-Wood，beheldathincolumnofsmokerisingsteadilyagainstthenowcloudlesssky。
“Northmour，“Isaidwestillcontinuedtotalkinwhispers，“itisnotpossibletoendurethissuspense。Ipreferdeathfiftytimesover。Stayyouheretowatchthepavilion；Iwillgoforwardandmakesure，ifIhavetowalkrightintotheircamp。“
Helookedonceagainallroundhimwithpuckeredeyes，andthennoddedassentinglytomyproposal。
MyheartheatlikeasledgehammerasIsetoutwalkingrapidlyinthedirectionofthesmoke；and，thoughuptothatmomentIhadfeltchillandshivering，Iwassuddenlyconsciousofaglowofheatallovermybody。Thegroundinthisdirectionwasveryuneven；ahundredmenmighthavelainhiddeninasmanysquareyardsaboutmypath。ButIwhohadnotpracticedthebusinessinvain，chosesuchroutesascutattheveryrootofconcealment，and，bykeepingalongthemostconvenientridges，commandedseveralhollowsatatime。ItwasnotlongbeforeIwasrewardedformycaution。Comingsuddenlyontoamoundsomewhatmoreelevatedthanthesurroundinghummocks，Isaw，notthirtyyardsaway，amanbentalmostdouble，andrunningasfastashisattitudepermitted，alongthebottomofagully。Ihaddislodgedoneofthespiesfromhisambush。AssoonasIsightedhim，IcalledloudlybothinEnglishandItalian；andhe，seeingconcealmentwasnolongerpossible，straightenedhimselfout，leapedfromthegully，andmadeoffasstraightasanarrowforthebordersofthewood。Itwasnoneofmybusinesstopursue；IhadlearnedwhatIwanted——thatwewerebeleagueredandwatchedinthepavilion；andIreturnedatonce，andwalkedasnearlyaspossibleinmyoldfootsteps，towhereNorthmourawaitedmebesidethedispatchbox。HewasevenpalerthanwhenIhadlefthim，andhisvoiceshookalittle。
“Couldyouseewhathewaslike？“heasked。
“Hekepthisbackturned，“Ireplied。
“Letusgetintothehouse，Frank。Idon’tthinkI’macoward，butIcanstandnomoreofthis，“hewhispered。
Allwasstillandsunshinyaboutthepavilion，asweturnedtoreenterit；eventhegullshadflowninawidercircuit，andwereseenflickeringalongthebeachandsandhills；andthislonelinessterrifiedmemorethanaregimentunderarms。ItwasnotuntilthedoorwasbarricadedthatIcoulddrawafullinspirationandrelievetheweightthatlayuponmybosom。NorthmourandI
exchangedasteadyglance；andIsupposeeachmadehisownreflectionsonthewhiteandstartledaspectoftheother。
“Youwereright，“Isaid。“Allisover。Shakehands，oldman，forthelasttime。“
“Yes，“repliedhe，“Iwillshakehands；for，assureasIamhere，Ibearnomalice。But，remember，if，bysomeimpossibleaccident，weshouldgivethesliptotheseblackguards，I’lltaketheupperhandofyoubyfairorfoul。“
“Oh，“saidI，“youwearyme！“
Heseemedhurt，andwalkedawayinsilencetothefootofthestairs，wherehepaused。
“Youdonotunderstand，“saidhe。“Iamnotaswindler，andI
guardmyself；thatisall。Imaywearyyouornot，Mr。Cassilis，I
donotcarearush；Ispeakformyownsatisfaction，andnotforyouramusement。Youhadbettergoupstairsandcourtthegirl；formypart，Istayhere。“
“AndIstaywithyou，“Ireturned。“DoyouthinkIwouldstealamarch，evenwithyourpermission？“
“Frank，“hesaid，smiling，“it’sapityyouareanass，foryouhavethemakingsofaman。IthinkImustbefeyto-day；youcannotirritatemeevenwhenyoutry。Doyouknow，“hecontinuedsoftly，“IthinkwearethetwomostmiserablemeninEngland，youandI？wehavegotontothirtywithoutwifeorchild，orsomuchasashoptolookafter——poor，pitiful，lostdevils，both！Andnowweclashaboutagirl！AsiftherewerenotseveralmillionsintheUnitedKingdom！Ah，Frank，Frank，theonewholoseshisthrow，beityouorme，hehasmypity！Itwerebetterforhim——howdoestheBiblesay？——thatamillstonewerehangedabouthisneckandhewerecastintothedepthofthesea。Letustakeadrink，“heconcludedsuddenly，butwithoutanylevityoftone。
Iwastouchedbyhiswords，andconsented。Hesatdownonthetableinthedining-room，andhelduptheglassofsherrytohiseye。
“Ifyoubeatme，Frank，“hesaid，“Ishalltaketodrink。Whatwillyoudo，ifitgoestheotherway？“
“Godknows，“Ireturned。
“Well，“saidhe，“hereisatoastinthemeantime:’Italiairredenta！’“
Theremainderofthedaywaspassedinthesamedreadfultediumandsuspense。Ilaidthetablefordinner，whileNorthmourandClarapreparedthemealtogetherinthekitchen。IcouldheartheirtalkasIwenttoandfro，andwassurprisedtofinditranallthetimeuponmyself。Northmouragainbracketedustogether，andralliedClaraonachoiceofhusbands；buthecontinuedtospeakofmewithsomefeeling，andutterednothingtomyprejudiceunlessheincludedhimselfinthecondemnation。Thisawakenedasenseofgratitudeinmyheart，whichcombinedwiththeimmediatenessofourperiltofillmyeyeswithtears。Afterall，Ithought——andperhapsthethoughtwaslaughablyvain——wewereherethreeverynoblehumanbeingstoperishindefenseofathievingbanker。
Beforewesatdowntotable，Ilookedforthfromanupstairswindow。Thedaywasbeginningtodecline；thelinkswereutterlydeserted；thedispatchboxstilllayuntouchedwherewehadleftithoursbefore。
Mr。Huddlestone，inalongyellowdressinggown，tookoneendofthetable，Claratheother；whileNorthmourandIfacedeachotherfromthesides。Thelampwasbrightlytrimmed；thewinewasgood；
theviands，althoughmostlycold，excellentoftheirsort。Weseemedtohaveagreedtacitly；allreferencetotheimpendingcatastrophewascarefullyavoided；and，consideringourtragiccircumstances，wemadeamerrierpartythancouldhavebeenexpected。Fromtimetotime，itistrue，NorthmourorIwouldrisefromtableandmakearoundofthedefenses；and，oneachoftheseoccasions，Mr。Huddlestonewasrecalledtoasenseofhistragicpredicament，glancedupwithghastlyeyes，andboreforaninstantonhiscountenancethestampofterror。Buthehastenedtoemptyhisglass，wipedhisforeheadwithhishandkerchief，andjoinedagainintheconversation。
Iwasastonishedatthewitandinformationhedisplayed。Mr。