Wint moved aside. “Come in,” he agreed; and they stepped into the hall. Then Hetty came out of the sitting room. She had heard their voices, heard what they said. She stood very still, looking at Jack Routt with inscrutable eyes. Routt looked from Sam to Wint furtively. Then he looked at Hetty; and he moved toward her as though he expected violence. Two paces from where she stood, he stopped; he fidgeted. At last he said: “Will you marry me?” There was a parrot-like quality in his voice that made Wint, even in that moment, want to smile. Hetty did smile; she said quietly: “I suppose Sam brought you here.” Routt looked at Sam; then he protested: “No. I wanted to come. Honestly.” “You never wanted anything honestly in your life, Jack,” she told him; and there was as much pity as anger in her voice. “I wouldn’t marry you. I wouldn’t look at you. Not if you were the last man in the world.” No one said anything. They stood very still. Then Routt moved a little; and he turned, and he looked questioningly at Sam O’Brien. Sam had his hat in his hand. He dropped it, to leave his hands free. He opened the front door and stepped outside; and Routt followed him as though at a word of command. Sam took him by the arm; then he closed the door. Wint looked at Hetty. They heard a muffled, thudding sound. A hoarse cry. A scuffle of feet. The front gate banged. When Wint opened the door, Sam was standing on one foot, precariously poised; and with his handkerchief he was carefully wiping the toe of his right shoe. Routt was not in sight. Hetty came to the door beside Wint; and Sam looked at her humbly, and he asked: “Will you walk along with me?” Hetty, smiling a little tenderly, said: “You oughtn’t to have done that.” “I can clean my shoe,” Sam explained, as though that were the only consideration. “Will you walk along with me?” She hesitated a moment; then she said swiftly: “Yes, Sam,” and looked at Wint with a quick, laughing glance. “Yes, Sam, I’ll walk along with you.” Sam looked at Wint. “We’re much obliged to you,” he said. Wint nodded. Then Sam and Hetty went down to the gate; and Wint watched them go away together. CHAPTER IV WINT’S RALLY It was well toward dinner time when Hetty and Sam O’Brien went away together and left Wint. He watched them to the corner, and thought Sam was a good fellow. And a lucky one, too. There was a fine strength and pride in Hetty. No doubt about it, Sam was lucky.