"Well, what _are_ you going to do? Are you going to see him?"

"No, sir!" Lafe spoke sharply.

"Well, well! What?"

"I'm not bothering to run around asking audiences of Farwell
Knowleses; you ought to know that!"

"Given it up?"

"Not exactly. I've sent a fellow around to talk to him."

"What use will that be?"

Gorgett brought his feet down off the desk with a bang.

"_Then_ he can come to see _me_, if he wants to. D'you
think I've been fool enough not to know what sort of man I was going
up against? D'you think that, knowing him as I do, I've not been ready
for something of this kind? And that's all you'll get out of
_me_, this afternoon!"

And it was all I did.

* * * * *

It may have been about one o'clock, that night, or perhaps a little
earlier, as I lay tossing about, unable to sleep because I was too
much disturbed in my mind--too angry with myself--when there came a