"It don't make any difference! I ain't going to stand for it! I tell you to do something and you go and make a mess of it! Why did n't you wait until they were both there?"
"I—I thought they were, Roady!" The woman's voice was whining, pleading. "Ain't you going to kiss me?"
"No, I ain't going to kiss you. You went and made a mess of things."
"You kissed me the night our boy was born. Remember that, Roady? Don't you remember how you kissed me then?"
"That was a long time ago, and you were a different woman then. You 'd do what I 'd tell you."
"But I do now, Roady. Honest, I do. I 'll do anything you tell me to—if you 'll just be good to me. Why don't you hold me in your arms any more—?"
A scuffling sound came from above. Fairchild knew that she had made an effort to clasp him to her, and that he had thrust her away. The voices came closer.
"You know what you got us into, don't you? They made a strike there to-day—same value as in the Silver Queen. If it had n't been for you—"
"But they get out someway—they always get out." The voice was high and weird now. "They 're immortal. That's what they are—they 're immortal. They have the gift—they can get out—"
"Bosh! Course they get out when you wait until after they 're gone. Why, one of 'em was downtown at the assayer's, so I understand, when you went in there."