"You could take your oath on it?"

"Yes."

"Well, it doesn't matter if it is so or not -- it IS so,
so far as the world is concerned. Now we've paid our way straight.
We've always been pretty straight anyway, even if we are a pair of vagabonds,
and I don't half like this new business; but it had to be done.
If I hadn't taken down that sharper you'd have lost confidence in me
and wouldn't have been able to mask your feelings, and I'd have had
to stoush you. We're two hard-working, innocent bushies, down for
an innocent spree, and we run against a cold-blooded professional sharper,
a paltry sneak and a coward, who's got neither the brains nor the pluck
to work in the station of life he togs himself for. He tries
to do us out of our hard-earned little hundred and fifty
-- no matter whether we had it or not -- and I'm obliged to take him down.
Serve him right for a crawler. You haven't the least idea
what I'm driving at, Smith, and that's the best of it.
I've driven a nail of my life home, and no pincers ever made will get it out."

"Why, Steely, what's the matter with you?"

Steelman rose, took up the pile of ten sovereigns, and placed it neatly
on top of the rest.

"Put the stuff away, Smith."

After breakfast next morning, Gentleman Sharper hung round a bit,
and then suggested a stroll. But Steelman thought the weather looked too bad,
so they went on the balcony for a smoke. They talked of the weather,