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Rh I was now getting very angry, so I rose to my feet and said hastily—"If we have nothing to talk about, don't you think that we may as well go back?"

Jack rose and said, "No, Bob, we'll not go back yet awhile. Don't be vexed with me, old fellow. You are in more danger than I am, but your danger is mine." As he said this I saw the same expression on his face which I had seen yesterday, an expression of kindness and anxiety, and it had much the same effect on me now.

"Jack," I said, "forgive me, I declare I believe you are partly right; I believe there is some devilish influence at work trying to set me against you. I caught myself yesterday despising you for not being clever, and there were two devils in that, for you are twice as clever as I am, and even if you were not you are ten times as good."

"Ah Bob, my boy, there is plenty of reason to suspect me of stupidity without supposing that the devil is in the dance.

You see I have a stock verse or two to quote at a pinch. But although I don't see as far, perhaps, into the game as you, it may be that just for that reason I