"I can't fathom his motive, Tom," said Richard, harping upon the theme. "Steve has done this for a purpose. Did you ever meet with him before?"
"No."
"You remember how he came and offered to mate with us? There didn't seem anything strange in it then, but now it seems to bear a different light. He has been playing upon both of us. He played upon me, knowing my cursed pride"--the Welshman patted Richard's knee--"he told me it was a degradation to me to mate with a--a--"
"Say it, Dick," said the Welshman, gently. "It was a degradation to you to go mates with a ticket-of-leave man."
"Yes, he said that. And I--although I know that you are innocent, Tom, old fellow,--"
"Thank you, Dick,"
--"And, although I know that you are the best-hearted fellow in the world--I listened to him, and believed him."
The Welshman sighed, and said, "It was natural, Dick; it was natural."
"It was nothing of the sort; I ought to have known better. But I didn't think, Tom, that's the truth." Richard spoke in a tone of self-reproach; he was ashamed of his selfishness, and of the unjust thoughts he had harboured towards his mate.
"There's enough of him," said the Welshman, heartily. "We'll talk no more about him, and to-morrow we will wash our hands of him. And now, Dick,"--he hesitated before he proceeded, for he was about to speak of a subject which needed delicate handling--"And now, Dick, I want to speak to you about your wife."