“Come off it,” sneered Billiter. “At any rate, you can stand a round of drinks.” “I’ve chucked drink, too,” said Huckaby. “I’ve sworn off. I’ll never touch a drop of liquor as long as I live—and I advise you fellows to do the same.” They burst out laughing, asked him for tickets for his next temperance lecture, and then began to abuse him after the manner of their kind. “This is a decent street,” said Huckaby, “so please don’t make a row.” “We’re not making any row,” cried Billiter. “We only want our share of the money.” “What money? Didn’t I write and tell you the whole thing was off? She couldn’t stick it, and neither could I. Quixtus hasn’t given her one penny piece.” “We’ll see what the lady has to say about that,” growled Billiter. “You’re going to leave that lady alone henceforth and for ever,” said Huckaby, with a new ring of authority in his voice. The others sneered. Since when had Huckaby constituted himself squire of dames? Billiter, with profane asseveration, would do exactly what he chose. Wasn’t it his scheme? He deserved his share. Vandermeer gloomily reminded him that he had cast doubts from the first on Huckaby’s probity. He had put them in the cart in fine fashion. They refused to believe in Lena Fontaine’s squeamishness. Huckaby grew impatient. “Haven’t you each received a letter from Quixtus’s solicitors? Haven’t you each signed an agreement not to worry him—on forfeiture of your allowance? Now I swear to God that if either of you molest her, you’ll be molesting Quixtus. I’ll jolly well see to that. She’ll tell me, and I’ll tell him—and bang! goes the monthly money.” Vandermeer’s shrewd wits began to work. “Molest her and we molest Quixtus? Oho! Is that the little game? She’s going to marry him, eh?” “If she does, what the blazes has that got to do with you?” Huckaby cried, fiercely. “You just let the woman alone. You’ve got a damned sight more out of Quixtus than you ever expected, and you ought to be satisfied.” “We ought to get more,” said Billiter, “considering what we’ve done for him.” “You won’t,” said Huckaby, and seeing that they both still regarded Quixtus as a subject for further exploitation, “Let me tell you something,” said he, “a few simple facts that alter the situation completely. Let us take a turn down the street.”