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In the Arbor.
281

poses so swiftly as he now did. He knew his perils! Standing before the door of the summer-house, he eyed Philip. With that quick turn from force to a kind of blustering wheedle which he had resorted to on the altercation on the Old Province, he said, disregarding Gerald's presence altogether

"See here, now, Touchtone, keep cool! We're not overheard yet, and there's no reason why we should be. I wont hurt you—"

"Hurt me!"

"No. Do you remember the last thing I said to you that night we talked? What I promised you? It's not too late now for you to ask me to keep my promise, and—once more—to save us both lots of trouble."

"You mean for me to second you in your plans, whatever they are? And if I do I'm to be rewarded? Eh?"

The other nodded and gnawed his lip.

"If I don't I'm to be made to suffer, I believe? Even if you can't gain what you're after?"

"You'll do that, depend on it."

"I told you then that I knew, I knew, that you could not bluff me nor cheat other people long enough to hurt Gerald or me! I tell