"Oh, I'll apologise, if you like!--anything to get your weight off
me!"--and Landon made an abortive effort to rise. "But I keep my
own opinion all the same!"

Slowly Robin released him, and watched him as he picked himself
up, with an air of mingled scorn and pity. Landon laughed
forcedly, passing one hand across his forehead and staring in a
dazed fashion at the shadows cast on the ground by the moon.

"Yes--I keep my own opinion!" he repeated, stupidly. "You've got
the better of me just now--but you won't always, my pert Cock
Robin! You won't always. Don't you think it! Briar Farm and I may
part company--but there's a bigger place than Briar Farm--there's
the world!--that's a wide field and plenty of crops growing on it!
And the men that sow those kind of crops and reap them and bring
them in, are better farmers than you'll ever be! As for your
girl!"--here his face darkened and he shook his fist towards the
lattice window behind which slept the unconscious cause of the
quarrel--"You can keep her! A nice 'Innocent' SHE is!--talking
with a man in her bedroom after midnight!--why, I wouldn't have
her as a gift--not now!"

Choking with rage, Clifford sprang towards him again--Landon
stepped back.

"Hands off!" he said--"Don't touch me! I'm in a killing mood! I've
a knife on me--you haven't. You're the master--I'm the man--and
I'll play fair! I've my future to think of, and I don't want to
start with a murder!"