CHAPTER X. BY ETHEL WATTS MUMFORD Penny, pacing the drawing-room with pantheresque strides, came to a tense halt as Remington entered. "Well?" he said, his eyes hard, his unwelcoming hands thrust deep into his pockets. That identical "well" with its uptilt of question had been on George's tongue. It was a monosyllable that demanded an answer. Penny had got ahead of him, forced him, as it were, into the witness chair, and he resented it. "Seems to me," he began hotly, "that you were the one who was going to make the statements--' whether or no,' I believe, we were to continue in partnership." "Perhaps," retorted Penny, with the air of allowing no great importance to that angle of the argument, "but what I want to know is, _are_ you going to be a square man, and own up you were peeved into being a tyrant? And when you've done that, are you going to tell Betty, and apologize?" George hesitated, trapped between his irritation and the still small voice. "Look here," he said, with that amiable suavity that had won him many a concession, "you know well enough I don't want to hurt Betty's feelings. If she feels that way about it, of course I'll apologize." His partner looked at him in blank amazement. "Gad!" he exclaimed as if examining a particularly fine specimen of some rare beetle, "what a bounder." "Meaning me?" snapped George. "Don't dare to quibble. Look me in the eye." There was a third degree fatality about the usually debonair Penny that exacted obedience. George unwillingly looked him in the eye, and had a ghastly feeling of having his suddenly realized smallness X-rayed. "You know damned well you acted like a cad," Penny continued, "and I want to know, for all our sakes, if you're man enough to own it?" George's fundamental honesty mastered him. Anger died from his eyes. His clenched hands relaxed and began an unconscious and nervous exploration for a cigarette. "Since you put it that way," he said, "and it happens that my conscience agrees with you--I'll go you. I _was_ a cad, and I'll tell Betty so. Confound it!" he growled, "I don't know _what's_ come over me these days. I've got to get a grip on myself." "You _bet_ you have," said Penny, hauling his fists from his trousers as if with an effort. Then he grinned. "Betty said you would." George's eyes darkened. "And I'll tell you now," Penny went on, "since you've turned out at least half-decent, Betty'll let you off that apology thing. _She_ wasn't the one who was exacting it--not she. _I_ couldn't stand for your highfalutin excuses for being--well, never mind--we all get our off days. But don't you get off again like that if----" Penny hesitated. "If you want me for a partner," which seemed the obvious conclusion, was tame. "If you want to hang on to any one's respect," he finished.