"Oh, you have? Did you get out of bed when they sent for you one night to see old Aunt Mag? Didn't you complain that you were too sick to get up? And that very night, sir, didn't you slip away and play poker over the creek?" "Somebody has lied about me," the doctor declared. "I admit, sir, that lying has been done, but you did it." "General, I insist that you must not talk to me this way. I'm no dog." "If you were, sir, I would be more considerate of you." "Keep on and you'll say something that you may regret." Just at that moment Old Master had turned to walk down the path, but he wheeled about. "What's that? Say something that I may regret? I don't know about that, sir, but I may say something that you'll regret. I may tell you to get off this place, and I won't regret it, but you will." "That would be a scandal, General." "Yes, a disgrace--to you." The old man walked down the path, tall and gaunt in the moon-light. He turned, and coming back, stepping slowly, he said: "But it is our duty to avoid anything in the nature of a rupture. So now, I'll tell you what I'll agree to do. I will give you Sam and money enough to go South, and when the time comes to divide the estate, you shall have your share. Now, I ask you if that is not fair?" "Yes, General, it is perfectly fair, but--" "But what, sir?" Master snapped impatiently. "But I don't want Sam. I want Dan--want to make a race rider of him." "What good will a race rider do you? You've got no horses." "I can get the horses." "But you can't get Dan, sir, so let the matter rest. Bates, I don't want to get mad, and I should think, sir, that in the light of our recent affliction--" "I understand, General, and we'll let the subject drop, but if Bob should agree--" "Stop, there, sir. Bob is not old enough to entertain a business proposition." For a time the old man walked up and down, with his hands behind him and then turned upon the doctor. "I believe, sir, that you are an evil-minded man. For a long time I thought that your laziness was an indication of good nature--the lazy dog is rarely vicious--but now I am of the opinion that you have an active quality, that of rascality, sir." "General," said the doctor, "I can't stand everything. You forget, sir, that I am a gentleman." "Oh, do I forget it?" the old man spoke up. "There is a difference between forgetting a thing and never having known it. Bates, I have endeavored to like you, I have striven to crush what I hoped was merely a prejudice, but I can't. I don't think that we have ever held an agreeable conversation. There is something about you that antagonizes me. When you are away I am determined to like you, but when you come back, I find that my resolve is weak. I don't want to drive you off--I would stand most anything rather than face a neighborhood scandal, but don't you think that it would be a good idea for you to go away and stay away for a long time? I say, don't you?" "You can drive me off, sir."