The two men were walking in the park one morning when the explosion took place. Rupert, as usual, was unable to remain in the house quietly, since his very painful thoughts did not permit him to take an interest in anything. He was on his legs from morning until night, and the barrister, for obvious reasons, since he wished to poison his mind, always hung round him with suggestions of what should be done to hush the matter up. On this particular morning he did more than suggest, as he was growing weary of Hendle's sluggish reluctance to deal with the matter. Therefore, he put his proposal into plain words and mentioned his price. Rupert lost his temper and, wheeling on him in a fury, knocked him down. Carrington was so amazed and startled by this sudden rebellion on the part of a sheep that he remained on the grass tongue-tied, staring up at the big man who stood by, furiously angry. "I--I--I think--you must be--be mad," stuttered the barrister. "No, I am not mad, you villain!" said Hendle, between his teeth. "You think that I am as big a scoundrel as you are. I am not, and now you know it." Carrington pulled himself together and rose stiffly, tenderly feeling his left eye, which was growing black. "I'll make you pay for this," he said savagely, and turned a threatening face on Hendle. "You can do what you like. I am not afraid of you," retorted the Squire indifferently; "and, as this trouble has taken place, there will be no need for you to return to my house. You can go away and your luggage will be sent down to the station." "You can send it to _The Hendle Arms_," said Carrington, making up his mind swiftly as to his best course of action. "I don't intend to leave this place until I get what I want." "You won't get five thousand pounds anyhow, or five thousand pence, I can tell you," said Hendle, with his usually kind eyes growing hard. "Not from you perhaps, since you are such a fool. But Mallien----" "Mallien can defend himself. What he does has nothing to do with me." "It has a lot to do with Dor----" "If you mention that name I shall knock you down again!" shouted the Squire. Carrington was wise enough to take the hint, being a coward at heart as all bullies are. "I should like to know why you knocked me down at all?" he complained, in sulky tones. "I did so, because you are little else than a blackmailer." "How dare you use that word to me!" cried Carrington, black with rage, and he would have struck his quondam friend but that he knew from experience that he would get the worst of it in any struggle which might ensue. "What other word applies to your conduct?" demanded Hendle fiercely. "As my old school chum I have treated you well, and have shown you every hospitality, as you know very well. And how do you repay me? By threatening to make things hot for me if I don't buy your silence with a large sum of money."