lad."

Hilliard seemed not to hear this. Again he fixed his eyes on the
other's countenance.

"Do you say you are going to pay me four hundred pounds?" he asked
slowly.

"Four hundred and thirty-six. You'll go to the devil with it, but
that's no business of mine."

"There's just one thing I must tell you. If this is a joke, keep out
of my way after you've played it out, that's all."

"It isn't a joke. And one thing I have to tell _you_. I reserve to
myself the right of thrashing you, if I feel in the humour for it."

Hilliard gave a laugh, then threw himself back into the corner, and
did not speak again until the train pulled up at New Street station.



CHAPTER II


An hour later he was at Old Square, waiting for the tram to Aston.
Huge steam-driven vehicles came and went, whirling about the open
space with monitory bell-clang. Amid a press of homeward-going
workfolk, Hilliard clambered to a place on the top and lit his pipe.
He did not look the same man who had waited gloomily at Dudley Port;