‘I may like it in time, when I don’t feel such an egregious fool as I do now,’ remarked Phil, as he smoked his pipe and looked at Tor, whose face expressed a sublime satisfaction. ‘Well, what is it you’ve done?’ asked the other. ‘You’d better make a clean breast of it, as it seems so to weigh upon your mind.’ ‘Can’t you guess?’ ‘I should be sorry to try. There are a vast variety of ways in which a man can make a fool of himself, and you always had a special aptitude in doing so.’ ‘Do be serious, Tor. You’ll be serious enough when you hear.’ ‘Shall I? I don’t feel overwhelmed with gravity so far. I can’t get over the fact that you really made a fool of me, for once. To think that you and Signor Pagliadini were one and the same, and that you could meet me time after time, and I not find you out! I shall never be able to look Miss Marjory in the face again!’ And Tor broke anew into laughter. ‘You’re incorrigible, Tor!’ cried Phil. ‘I must tell you, if you can’t see for yourself. I came in disguise because I was afraid to come otherwise.’ ‘Afraid!’ laughed Tor; ‘that’s good. Afraid of what?’ ‘Of you.’ ‘Of me! Good heavens! why?’ ‘Now just be serious a moment, and put yourself in my place. I knew you had adopted my name, passed yourself off as my great-uncle’s heir, and obtained possession of Ladywell. What could I think but that you intended to keep it?’ ‘Keep it!’ shouted Tor; ‘keep Ladywell! Be Phil Debenham all the rest of my natural life! No, thank you, my boy; not at any price! My dear old fellow, you never were very practical or very wise; but you don’t mean to tell me you thought such a deception as that would be possible for any length of time?’ ‘I did,’ said Phil. ‘I suppose I was an ass for my pains. Perhaps my head was stupider than usual, but I thought it could be done, and that you could do it, if you had a mind.’ Tor opened his great grey eyes, and looked steadily at Phil. ‘And did you think I had the mind?’ ‘What could I think? You had got possession of all that was mine. Why should you take it if you didn’t mean to keep it?’ ‘Of course you couldn’t understand why I should take such a step, without seeing some of the papers I must show you, now that you have come back; but Phil, have we lived ten years together, and known each other since childhood, and have you so little confidence in me as that?’ Phil’s eyes fell. ‘I’m afraid I’ve been an awful fool—a fool and a brute both. I ought to have known.’ ‘Yes, Phil, you ought to have known. I’m not a saint, as you know, and I’ve never set up for being better than my fellow-men; but I don’t think I’ve ever given you cause to think me a blackguard. Could you really believe in cold blood, that I should deliberately set about to rob you of your inheritance?’ ‘Old fellow, I’m awfully sorry. It must have been that sunstroke that muddled me. Don’t be in a rage—don’t cast me off. If you only knew how I feel now, you would see how much I am to be pitied.’