"No, by fighting for him!"

"You had better give him to me to keep for you," I said. "Let me
remove the apple of discord!"

It was my extravagance of course, but he had the air of being
perfectly serious. "It would be quite the best thing we could do. I
should be all ready to do it."

"I'm greatly obliged to you for your confidence."

But he lingered with his hands in his pockets. I felt as if within a
few moments I had, morally speaking, taken several steps nearer to
him. He looked weary, just as he faced me then, looked preoccupied
and as if there were something one might do for him. I was terribly
conscious of the limits of my young ability, but I wondered what such
a service might be, feeling at bottom nevertheless that the only
thing I could do for him was to like him. I suppose he guessed this
and was grateful for what was in my mind, since he went on presently:
"I haven't the advantage of being an American, but I also notice a
little, and I've an idea that"--here he smiled and laid his hand on
my shoulder--"even counting out your nationality you're not destitute
of intelligence. I've only known you half an hour, but--!" For
which again he pulled up. "You're very young, after all."

"But you may treat me as if I could understand you!" I said; and
before he left me to dress for dinner he had virtually given me a
promise that he would.

When I went down into the drawing-room--I was very punctual--I found