“Certainly not. The Marquis de Pinsara spoke to me to endeavour to obtain my influence for you, but I declined. I will not be mixed up in an affair which I do not consider quite clean.” “I assure you there is nothing in it which would soil your hands, Major Sampayo,” I said, with just sufficient emphasis on the “your” to rouse him. “I consider that remark extremely offensive, sir,” he replied hotly. “And you will be good enough to understand that I do not allow any man, Englishman or not, to make offensive remarks to me. I do not suppose you have come to insult me deliberately.” His manner was very hectoring; and as it is sometimes amusing to allow a bully to believe he can bully you, I allowed him to enjoy this belief for a while. With a start of affected nervousness I exclaimed quickly, “Oh, I’m sure--I trust----” as if beginning an apology, and then stopped and lowered my eyes. “Then be good enough to be more guarded in what you say and how you say it.” I hesitated as if much impressed and rather cowed by this and at a loss what to say. “These concessions, of course....” I stammered when he broke in. “You have my answer in regard to them. It is final. And now I must ask you to leave me.” I put in a little comedy stroke, by tossing up my hands, glancing half-appealingly at him, and giving a little sigh of regret. “You can do no good by remaining, Mr. Donnington. You asked me just now whether I had offered you my hand in any spirit of friendliness. I will tell you now, I did not. I have no wish for your friendship or your acquaintance.” “But you expressed a desire that we should meet again and I--I made quite sure----” I broke off again and let the sentence falter out in an indistinct murmur. “You know my decision now at any rate. You understand our language quite well enough for my meaning to be perfectly plain.” I was rather surprised at his attitude. He appeared to have quite reassured himself that we had not met before and that he had nothing to fear from me. And yet he had set that trap to get me into trouble. I could only conclude therefore that my present apparent fear of him led him to think he could safely intimidate me. So I dug the spur in. “You said you would welcome a chance of exchanging our mutual experiences in South Africa.” But he did not feel the spur. “I have told you I do not desire your acquaintance at all,” he said warmly, adding with a sneer: “Are you Englishmen accustomed to force yourselves upon one in the way you are doing now?” I let even this go in silence, and he crossed and threw the door open. “Now, sir,” he said, in barrack-yard style. I rose then. “I think you had better not insist on my going at present.” “I don’t care what you think. Go. That’s all I mean.” “You are deeply involved in a certain conspiracy, Major Sampayo. I have absolute knowledge that concerns you closely.”