"Do you mean, will she tell? Certainly she'll tell. Do you fancy a woman would let such an opportunity slip?" "Or some men either!" Emerson remarked quietly. "What do you intend to imply by that?" Dolittle bristled. "It's not particularly hard to understand," the other answered. "You mean you question _my_ telling it?" "I think it would have been kinder to Mrs. Lorraine if you had cautioned your companion not to tell--and followed your advice yourself." "Well, I'm damned!" Dolittle sneered. "Learning propriety from a bar-tender." "It doesn't make a heap of difference where you learn it, so long as you do learn it," said Emerson good-naturedly. "The only trouble with you is you never can learn it--you're too all-fired conceited and satisfied with yourself, my young friend." Pendleton came suddenly to life. "Do you hear what they are saying, Porshinger?" he demanded curtly. His tone angered Porshinger, who had been at loss what he should do. "Your conversation wasn't likely to drown it!" he retorted. "And do you propose to sit calmly by and hear a woman maligned, with _you_ named as the guilty party?" "What if she wasn't maligned?" sneered Porshinger.--"What if it's true?" "You miserable cur!" said Pendleton. "Oh, you needn't think that you're the only one!" Porshinger laughed. The next instant, Pendleton had him by the throat--then he released him and flung him in the chair. "You're too contemptible for a man to touch, even in fight," said he. It was no use for Porshinger to struggle physically against Pendleton, and he was well aware of it, one experience had already proved it beyond the possibility of doubt. So he sat back and carefully straightened his tie. "The Board of Governors shall have a report of this affair," said he. "I overlooked your previous assault; but you'll have to pardon me if I decline to overlook this one." "Report and be damned!" Pendleton exclaimed. "I'll be delighted if you do." "And meanwhile, there are other ways of reaching you, my friend," Porshinger added. "I've already reached you through the lady we both admire, so you may have my leavings if you wish them. They're not so bad--as you doubtless can vouch for." Again Pendleton sprang forward; Porshinger instantly cringed deeper into his chair. With his cane raised to strike, Pendleton recovered himself. "You are not worth even a broken stick," he declared--and turned away. The noise of the scuffle had distracted Dolittle and Emerson from their own quarrel, and they had come around the corner and were staring in amazement at the other two. "I'll break you, you snob," Porshinger sputtered. "I'll take every dollar you have, if it costs me a million to do it." Pendleton shrugged his shoulders indifferently and continued straight over to the other two men.