Ruth's fine eyes flashed and danced, irony, laughter, scorn, all crossing swords in their brown deeps. There were aspects of Alf that genuinely amused her. "Would you like to talk it over with him?" she asked. "And supposing I have?" "He'll be back in a moment," she said, sweet and bright. "I'll ask him." Alf was silent, fumbling with his watch-chain. Then he began again in the same hushed voice, and with the same averted face. "And there's another thing between us." His eyes were shut, and he was weaving to and fro like a snake in the love-dance. "Sorry you're trying to make bad blood between me and my old dad," he said. "Very sorry, Ruth." "I aren't," Ruth answered swiftly. "You was always un-friends from the cradle, you and dad. See he don't think you're right." She added a little stab of her own--"No one does. That's why they keep you on as sidesman, Mr. Chislehurst says. Charity-like. They're sorry for you. So'm I." The words touched Alf's vital spot--the conceit that was the most obvious symptom of his insanity. His face changed, but his voice remained as before, stealthy and insinuating. He came a little closer, and his eyes caressed her figure covetously. "You see I wouldn't annoy me, not too far, not if I was you, Ruth. You can go too far even with a saint upon the cross." Ruth put out the tip of her tongue daintily. "Crook upon the cross, don't you mean, Alf?" He brushed the irrelevancy aside, shooting his head across to hers. His face was ugly now, and glistening. With deliberate insolence he flicked a thumb and finger under her nose. "And I do know what I do know, and what nobody else don't know only you and me and the Captin, my tuppenny tartlet." She was still and white, formidable in her very dumbness. He proceeded with quiet stealth. "See that letter I wrote you used to hold over against me before you married--that's destroyed now. And a good job, too, for it might have meant trouble for Alfured. But it's gone! I _know_ that then. Ern told me. He's a drunkard, old Ern is; but he's not a liar. I will say that for my brother; I will stick up for him if it was ever so; I will fight old Ern's battles for him." "As you're doin now," said Ruth. Alf grinned. "And the short of it all is just this, Ruthie," he continued, and reaching forth a hand, tapped her upon the shoulder--"I got you, and you ain't got me. And I can squeeze the heart out of that great bosom o yours"--he opened and clenched his hand in pantomine--"if I don't get my way any time I like. So just you think it over! Think o your children if you won't think of nothing else!" Outside in the road he ran into Joe, who gripped him. "What you come after?" asked the engineer ferociously. "After my rent," answered Alf, shouting from fear. Joe looked dangerous, but loosed his hold. "How much?" he asked, taking a bag from his pocket. "Sixteen shilling. You can see for yourself."