and discovered too late that in the excitement of the moment he had made
free with the speaker's whisky.

"Don't apologize," interrupted the captain; "it's soon remedied."

He took the glass up gingerly and flung it with a crash into the
fireplace. Then he rang the bell.

"I've smashed a dirty glass," he said, as the bar-man entered. "How
much?"

The man told him, and the captain, after a few stern remarks about
privacy and harpies, left the room with his friends, leaving the
speechless Mr. Kybird gazing at the broken glass and returning evasive
replies to the inquiries of the curious Charles.

He finished his gin and water slowly. For months he had been screwing up
his courage to carry that room by assault, and this was the result. He
had been insulted almost in the very face of Charles, a youth whose
reputation as a gossip was second to none in Sunwich.

"Do you know what I should do if I was you?" said that worthy, as he
entered the room again and swept up the broken glass.

"I do not," said Mr. Kybird, with lofty indifference.

"I shouldn't come 'ere again, that's what I should do," said Charles,
frankly. "Next time he'll throw you in the fireplace."

"Ho," said the heated Mr. Kybird. "Ho, will he? I'd like to see 'im.