"'You know what you're driving at better than I do,' I said. And then I said: 'What's it all about? What's your game?' And he said, as if I'd been a common swindler that he'd found out: "'What's yours?' "Then I felt myself get mad. "'You're a mean little pest,' I said, but between my teeth, and not so that any one but he could hear me. And 'You're an evil-minded little scalawag,' I said. 'You certainly don't know me if you think I've done anything in this world to be ashamed of. Go ahead,' I said; 'do what you please. Don't for one single instant think that I'm afraid of you or that you can do me any harm.' And I left him standing there, with his grin, and flounced out. But what do you think of it, Gerald? Why should Charlie Hunt behave like that to me?" "I could judge better if I knew what you said to him at the _veglione_." "It wasn't very bad. It might provoke him for a minute to know that it was I who said it, but it oughtn't to make him mad enough to bite. I went up to him, and I said close to his ear, in my good English: "'You amusing little match-maker,' I said, 'what do you hope to get from your dusky friend marrying that _absard_ American? How much do you know about her?' I said. 'Are you even sure she's as rich as she seems?' Then he said, polite but stiff: "'You have the advantage of me, madam, in knowing what you're talking about. Pray go on with your tasteful pleasantries,' he said; 'I'm thinking I've heard your voice before.' Upon which I shut my mouth and dusted down the opera-house on Italo's arm. I was crazy that evening, I guess, with the crowd and excitement and all. When I get to training, I can't resist the impulse; I don't know where to stop. But that wasn't enough to make him want to stick a knife in me, was it? It was only fun. It was true. He had seemed to be trying to manage me so's I'd take a fancy to Landini, and I couldn't for the life of me see what it mattered to him." "I tell Aurora," came in Estelle, "that a little joke like that would rankle terribly in any but a real goodnatured man."