He was now growing frankly pleased with his exploit. He had builded so much better than he knew. He got up and looked out across the crystal world of light. “The Doctor is at one-mile crossing,” he said. “He’ll get breakfast at the N-lazy-Y.” Then he returned and sat again on my bed, and began to give me his real heart. “I never set up for being better than others. Not even to myself. My thoughts ain’t apt to travel around making comparisons. And I shouldn’t wonder if my memory took as much notice of the meannesses I have done as of--as of the other actions. But to have to sit like a dumb lamb and let a stranger tell yu’ for an hour that yu’re a hawg and a swine, just after you have acted in a way which them that know the facts would call pretty near white--” “Trampas!” I could not help exclaiming. For there are moments of insight when a guess amounts to knowledge. “Has Scipio told--” “No. Not a word. He wouldn’t tell me.” “Well, yu’ see, I arrived home hyeh this evenin’ with several thoughts workin’ and stirrin’ inside me. And not one o’ them thoughts was what yu’d call Christian. I ain’t the least little bit ashamed of ’em. I’m a human. But after the Judge--well, yu’ heard him. And so when I went away from that talk and saw how positions was changed--” A step outside stopped him short. Nothing more could be read in his face, for there was Trampas himself in the open door. “Good morning,” said Trampas, not looking at us. He spoke with the same cool sullenness of yesterday. We returned his greeting. “I believe I’m late in congratulating you on your promotion,” said he. The Virginian consulted his watch. “It’s only half afteh six,” he returned. Trampas’s sullenness deepened. “Any man is to be congratulated on getting a rise, I expect.” This time the Virginian let him have it. “Cert’nly. And I ain’t forgetting how much I owe mine to you.” Trampas would have liked to let himself go. “I’ve not come here for any forgiveness,” he sneered. “When did yu’ feel yu’ needed any?” The Virginian was impregnable. Trampas seemed to feel how little he was gaining this way. He came out straight now. “Oh, I haven’t any Judge behind me, I know. I heard you’d be paying the boys this morning, and I’ve come for my time.” “You’re thinking of leaving us?” asked the new foreman. “What’s your dissatisfaction?” “Oh, I’m not needing anybody back of me. I’ll get along by myself.” It was thus he revealed his expectation of being dismissed by his enemy. This would have knocked any meditated generosity out of my heart. But I was not the Virginian. He shifted his legs, leaned back a little, and laughed. “Go back to your job, Trampas, if that’s all your complaint. You’re right about me being in luck. But maybe there’s two of us in luck.”