"It is wrong. I admit it's wrong. The word will come out, you know."
"Will come out! I'll tell you what it is, old fellow, you'll get yourself into a mess, and all for nothing. That fellow will have you up before the police for stealing his things—"
"But, Johnny—"
"I know all about it. Of course you have not stolen them, and of course there was nothing to steal. But if you go on calling her Maria you'll find that he'll have a pull on you. Men don't call other men's wives names for nothing."
"Of course we've been friends," said Cradell, who rather liked this view of the matter.
"Yes,—you have been friends! She's diddled you out of your money, and that's the beginning and the end of it. And now, if you go on showing off your friendship, you'll be done out of more money. You're making an ass of yourself. That's the long and the short of it."
"And what have you made of yourself with that girl? There are worse asses than I am yet, Master Johnny." Eames, as he had no answer ready to this counter attack, left the room and went downstairs. Cradell soon followed him, and in a few minutes they were all eating their dinner together at Mrs. Roper's hospitable table.
Immediately after dinner Lupex took himself away, and the conversation upstairs became general on the subject of the lady's departure.
"If I was him I'd never ask a question about her, but let her go," said Amelia.
"Yes; and then have all her bills following you, wherever you went," said Amelia's brother.