THE RETURN OF THE EXILES 



of, and I cannot neglect her at present to get 

 married, for I only make ten dollars a week, and 

 a man can t marry on that, at least not such a 

 woman as Griselle. But you never expect to 

 get any more, I said grimly. c Oh, yes, I do, 

 he replied. If I had a little capital just now, 

 I d go to Spelldown and set up for myself. The 

 wheelwright of that place has just died. { How 

 much capital would it take ? I asked, with cold 

 irony. About six hundred dollars, he said 

 frankly. I tried to borrow it of Gabe Hotch- 

 kiss, but he said that the man who married his 

 niece ought to be able to make his own way 

 without coming to him, and he was right. 



&quot; Well, well, well,&quot; said the Doctor. &quot; How 

 much more of this is there ? You gloated over 

 the poor fellow s helplessness, and then triumphed 

 over the girl like an anthropoid ape.&quot; 



&quot; Yes. I asked him if he was in business for 

 himself, if he would immediately get married, and 

 he said he would. He even insulted me by letting 

 his eye sparkle a little.&quot; 



&quot;Well, well, have done with it you smashed 

 your poor rival with his own poverty.&quot; 



&quot; No, I didn t.&quot; 



&quot; Well, what did you do ? &quot; 



&quot; I lent him the six hundred dollars.&quot; 



What _&quot; 



&quot; I told him that one gentleman could do another 

 a good turn when it was in his way, without being 

 paid for it.&quot; 



The Doctor looked into the fire a moment. 



39 



