"What are you going to do?" said Gwynne harshly--the more harshly, perhaps, because he was touched and a little shamed, against his will. Almost involuntarily, he moved between his cousin and the door. "I'm going to my house, to _my_ house, to see Pallinder myself," said Steven, frightened yet obstinate. Gwynne made a gesture of angry impatience. "He won't be at home at this time of day. Cousin Steven, if you'll _only_ wait a little----" "I've done all the waiting I intend to, Mr. Gwynne Peters. If he ain't at home, I mean to see _her_----" "Oh, good Lord, Steven, you can't do that--you can't talk to a woman about things like that!" interposed Doctor Vardaman, shocked. "Now I'll tell you what, you stay here quietly with me, and take dinner and let Gwynne see to it. Gwynne'll fix it all right if you----" if you will give him time, the doctor was about to add, when the weakness of that already well-worn plea struck him. "I don't trust him, I tell you--he ain't to be trusted. I can attend to my own affairs and I _will_!" said Steven fiercely. The question had by this time become to him not so much that of recovering his money as of having his own way; they would conspire against him, would they? They would keep him from having a voice in his own proper affairs? Somebody had been meddling with him that way all his life; _he_ would show them, he, Steven Gwynne! "I won't have him interfering with me any longer--he don't suit me--I'll run my affairs to suit myself, without any leave from you, Mr. Gwynne Peters--call yourself a lawyer--I wouldn't trust you 'round the corner with a cent of _my_ money--I wouldn't have you try a case for my dog, I wouldn't----" "Then get some other lawyer that you do trust!" shouted Gwynne above the other's shouting. "But right now you're not going near Mrs. Pallinder, d'ye hear me? It's shameful; she shan't be persecuted this way!" "I'll go where I damn please, sir. Get another lawyer! Precious good care you've taken that I _can't_ get another lawyer! Where's the money? where's my hundred and twenty dollars, Gwynne Peters?" "If you'll come down to the office, I'll give you your infernal hundred and twenty now," said Gwynne, steadying himself as best he could. "I'll give it to you myself out of hand, and then you can go and employ ten lawyers if you like. But if you think I'm going to turn Mrs. Pall--the Pallinders out of doors, or hound them about the rent, you're mistaken. Why, it's my money just as much as yours, and am _I_ worrying? The colonel's good for it, and even if he isn't, the house and furniture are there; they aren't going to fly away--if you'll be patient and act sensibly, I'll get your money. If you won't I'll wash my hands of the whole business. You can----" "For God's sake, Gwynne," ejaculated the doctor in an undertone, "don't make things worse than they are! Steven can't control himself, but _you_ can!"