Elsley suddenly turned his back to them, and thrust his hand into his bosom. Now was Tom's turn.
In a moment he had vaulted over the table, and seized Elsley's wrist, ere he could draw the second pistol.
"No, my dear Jack," whispered he quietly, "once is enough in a day!"
"Not for him, Tom, for myself!" moaned Elsley.
"For neither, dear lad! Let bygones be bygones, and do you be a new man, and go home to Mrs. Vavasour."
"Never, never, never, never, never, never!" shrieked Elsley like a baby, every word increasing in intensity, till the whole house rang; and then threw himself into the crazy chair, and dashed his head between his hands upon the table.
"This is a case for me, Major Campbell. I think you had better go now."
"You will not leave him?"
"No, sir. It is a very curious psychological study, and he is a Whitbury man."
Campbell knew quite enough of the would-be cynical doctor, to understand what all that meant. He came up to Elsley.