Carroll groaned in mock dismay, which covered some genuine annoyance with himself. "What's the matter?" Vane inquired. "Do you want a drink?" "I'll get over it," Carroll informed him. "It isn't the first time I've suffered from the same complaint. But I'd like to point out that your chivalrous impulses may be the ruin of you some day. Why didn't you let Drayton settle with the man? You gave him a cheque, I suppose?" "I did; I'd only a few loose dollars on me. Now I see what you're driving at, and I want to say that any little reputation I possess can pretty well take care of itself." "Just so. No doubt it will be necessary; but you're not the only person concerned." "But who's likely to take notice of the thing?" "I can't tell; but you make enemies as well as friends, and you're walking in slippery places which you're not altogether accustomed to. You can't meet your difficulties with the axe here." "That's true," assented Vane, and they went in to dinner. After the meal, they walked across to Nairn's, and when they had been ushered into a room in which several other guests were assembled, Vane sat down on a sofa, beside Jessie Horsfield. "I want to thank you; I was over at Miss Hartley's this afternoon," he began. "I understood you were at the mining meeting." "So I was; your brother would tell that----" Vane broke off, remembering that he had defeated Horsfield. "You were opposed to him; but it doesn't follow that I share all his views. Perhaps I ought to be a stauncher partisan." "If you'll be just to both of us, I'll be satisfied." "I suppose that means you're convinced of the equity of your cause," she suggested. "I expect I deserve the rebuke, but aren't you trying to switch me off the subject?" Vane answered with a laugh. "It's Celia Hartley I want to talk about." He did her injustice; Jessie felt that she had earned his gratitude, and she had no objection to his expressing it. "It was a happy thought of yours to give her hats and things to make; I'm ever so much obliged to you. I felt you could be trusted to think of the right thing. An ingenious idea of that kind would never have occurred to me." "It was very simple; I noticed a hat and dress of hers which she owned she had made. The girl has some talent; I'm only sorry I can't keep her busy." "Couldn't you give her an order for a dozen hats? I'd be glad to be responsible." "The difficulty would be the disposal of them. They would be of no use to you, and I couldn't allow you to present them to me." "I wish I could," Vane declared. "You certainly deserve them." This was satisfactory, so far as it went, though Jessie would have preferred that his desire to bestow the favour should have sprung from some other motive than a recognition of her services to Celia Hartley. She was, however, convinced that his only feeling towards the girl was one of compassion. Then she saw that he was looking at her with half-humorous annoyance in his face.