It was pretty rough, but I pulled through."

"I shall never love any one else, Mr. Flanders," said Frederick
solemnly. "I shall never be untrue to her."

"Well, it's fine of you to take it in such a manly fashion, old chap.
It's great. Not many fellows could have done what you've done. I'm
sure I couldn't. It took grit to come out here and tell me this. Shake
hands again, my boy. And I now promise that I shall keep her happy if
it lies in the power of a human being to do so. You may depend upon
it, Freddie."

"Thank you, Mr. Flanders. I have great confidence in you. I trust you.
If you should ever require the support of a strong and willing
henchman in time of dire trouble or conflict with merciless--
merciless--" He stopped in distress. Once more Melissa's well-turned
sentences went back on him. For the life of him, he couldn't remember
the all-important noun.

"Scoundrels," supplied Mr. Flanders kindly.

"No, that isn't the word," said Frederick, thinking hard. "Merciless--
merciless--Oh, yes--renegades! If you should ever require the support
of a strong and--"

"All right," cried Flanders. "I understand. I'll call on you, you may
be sure."

"There was something more I wanted to say, but the--the words don't
seem to come as they ought to."