"You persist in that nonsense?"

"Call my departure whatever you want to--I have the name for it. When
do I leave?"

"I have not decided."

"And in the meantime?"

"Do as you please."

"Ah, thanks for this generosity," cried the young man, in a tone of
declamatory sarcasm so artificial as fairly to scent the elocutionary.
"To do as I please--here--now there's a blessed privilege! I may walk
around where I want to, talk to such as have a good word for me,
punish those who have not! But do I err in concluding that the state
of your game law is such that it would be useless to reclaim my rifle
from the engaging Placide?"

"You have a fine instinct," approved the Factor.

"It is one of my valued possessions," rejoined the young man,
insolently. He struck a match, and by its light selected a cigarette.

"I do not myself use tobacco in this room," suggested the older
speaker.

"I am curious to learn the limits of your forbearance," replied the
younger, proceeding to smoke.