"Christ!… And she knows?" He stared, less at us than at the four walls about him.
"She does not," said I: "or did not, until a few minutes ago."
"But you knew!"—Wrath again filled Farrell's sails. "You knew— and you allowed it.… And you call yourselves gentlemen, I suppose!"
"If you take that tone with either of us for an instant longer," I answered, after a pause, "you shall be thrown out of that door, and your dog shall follow through the window. If you prefer to stand quite still and hold your tongue—will you?—why, then, you are welcome to the information that I only heard of this engagement less than an hour ago, and Mr. Collingwood less than ten minutes before you entered."
"But you knew that other thing," Farrell insisted.
"Yes, I knew," said I: "and for the simple reason that Dr. Foe told it all to me. And Mr. Collingwood knows, for I told it to him. We two have kept the secret."
"And," sneered Farrell, "you still keep being his friends!"
"No," I answered; "as a matter of fact, we do not. But you have taken that tone again with me in spite of my warning, and I shall now throw you downstairs.… You are an ill-used man, I believe, though not by me: and for that reason, if you come back—say at ten to-morrow morning—and apologise, you will find me sympathetic. But just now I am going to throw you out."
"You may if you can," retorted Farrell, eyeing my advance warily. "I've spoilt this marrying, I guess: and that's the first long chalk crossed off a long tally."
I was about to grip with him when Jimmy called sharply that there were to be no blows—Foe wanted to speak.