At Love's Cost

Sir Stephen closed the door after him, then went back to the

smoking-room and stood looking down at Falconer, who leant back in his

chair with his cigar in his mouth and eyed Sir Stephen under

half-closed lids with an expression which had something of mastery and

power in it.

Sir Stephen bit at the end of his moustache, his thick black brows

lowered, as if he scarcely knew how to begin the "chat," and Falconer

waited without any offer of assistance. At last Sir Stephen said: "You asked me outside just now, Falconer, if it was to be 'friend or

foe?' I'm thinking the question ought to have come from me."

"Yes," assented Falconer, his eyes growing still narrower. "Yes, I

suppose it ought."

"Would your answer have been the same as mine--'friends'?" asked Sir

Stephen in a low voice.

Falconer was silent for a moment, then he said: "It oughtn't to have been. If ever a man had cause to regard another as

an enemy, I've had cause to regard you as one, Orme!"

Sir Stephen flushed, then went pale again.

"There is no use in raking up the past," he muttered.

"Oh, I've no need to rake it up; it's here right enough, without

raking," retorted Falconer, and he touched his breast with his thick

forefinger. "I'm not likely to forget the trick you played me; not

likely to forget the man who turned on me and robbed me--"

"Robbed!" echoed Sir Stephen, with a dark frown.

Falconer turned his cigar in his mouth and bit at it.

"Yes, robbed. You seem to have forgotten: my memory is a better one

than yours, and I'm not likely to forget the day I tramped back to the

claim in that God-forsaken Australian hole to find that you'd

discovered the gold while I'd been on the trail to raise food and

money--discovered it and sold out--and cleared out!"

His eyes flashed redly and his mouth twitched as his teeth almost met

in the choice Havana.

Sir Stephen threw out his hand.

"I heard you were dead," he said, hoarsely. "I heard that you had died

in a street row--in Melbourne."

Falconer's heavy face was distorted by a sneer.

"Yes? Of course, I don't believe you: who would?"

"As Heaven is my witness--!" exclaimed Sir Stephen; but Falconer went

on: "You didn't wait to see if it were true or not; you cleared out before

I'd time to get back, and you took precious good care not to make

enquiries. No; directly your partner's back was turned you--sold him;

got the price and levanted."