"No, sir!" he declared, in a cold tone. "I keep my word whenever I have given it." Silverthorn uttered an oath under his breath. "If you mean to keep your word, why don't you do it without blustering? Suppose I _have_ been unfortunate enough to come out behind in the race, and to need this money of yours? Is that any reason why you should grind into me like a file the sense of my obligation to you?" "Come, Thorny," said his friend, "you are treating me like a stranger. How long is it since you got these high-strung notions?" "I suppose I've been growing sensitive since I first perceived that I was dependent on your fortune. It has unmanned me. I believe I might have done something, but for this." "Gad, so might I be doing something, now, if I had my whole capital," muttered Vibbard. He did not see how his remark renewed the wound he had just been trying to heal. For several years he had felt that the compact with his friend was a useless clog on himself, and this had probably caused him to dwell too much on his own generosity in making it. Both felt pained and dissatisfied with their meeting. It was full of sordidness and discomfort; it seemed in one hour to have stripped from their lives the romance of youth. But after their little tiff they tried to recover their spirits and succeeded in keeping up a sham kind of gayety. Arrived at Silverthorn's lodging, they completed their business; Vibbard handing over a check, and receiving in exchange Silverthorn's copy of the agreement with a receipt in due form. "How long can you stay, Bill?" asked Silverthorn, more cheerfully, when this was over. A suppressed elation at his good luck made him tingle from top to toe; and, to tell the truth, he did not feel much interest in Vibbard's remaining. "I must be off to-morrow," said his friend. "I suppose I can stay here to-night?" "Of course." "I must call on Ida, before I go." Silverthorn's brow darkened. "Ah, Thorny," continued Vibbard, unconsciously, "it's queer to look back to that time when we were trying to persuade each other to make love to her! Do you know that since I've been away, she's never once gone out of my mind?" "Is that so?" returned his comrade, with a strained and cloudy effort to appear lightly interested. "Yes," said the other, warming to his theme. "It may seem strange in a rough business man like me,--and I guess it would have played the Old Harry with anybody whose head wasn't perfectly level,--but that strong, pure, sweet face of hers has come between me and many a sharp fellow I've had to deal with. But it never distracted my thoughts; it helped me. The memory of her was with me night and day, Thorny, and it made me a hard, successful worker, and kept me a pure-hearted, happy man. You'll see that I don't need much persuasion to speak to her now!"