This brought Chirk up on to his feet, with a scrape of his chair across the floor, and a dangerous look in his eye. “So that’s it, is it?” he said softly. “A man o’ the town, are you, Soldier? Would that be why you’re being so obliging as to keep the gate for Ned? Quite in the petticoat-line, I daresay! Well, if you’re to her taste, she’s welcome!”
“Tell her,” said the Captain, carefully trimming the lamp, which had begun to smoke, “that I’ll be hanged if I know what she finds to take her fancy in a damned, green-eyed, suspicious, quarrel-picking hedge-bird, but I’ll stable his mare for him—if only to please her!”
Considerably taken aback, Chirk stood staring at him, his humorous mouth thinned, and a challenging frown in his eyes. “There’s not a soul but her knows why I come here,” he said. “Not a soul, d’ye hear me? So if you know it, it looks uncommon like she told you, Soldier! P’raps you’ll be so very obliging as to tell me how that came about?” He had thrown off his greatcoat when he sat down to the table, but his pistol lay beside his plate, and he picked it up. “I’m a man as likes plain-speaking, Soldier—and a quick answer!” he said significantly.
“Are you?” said the Captain, a hint of steel in his pleasant voice. “But I am not a man who likes to answer questions at the pistol-muzzle, Mr. Chirk! Put that gun down!” He rose to his feet. “You’ll get hurt, you know, if you make me go to the trouble of wresting it away from you,” he warned him.
An involuntary grin lightened the severity of Chirk’s countenance. He lowered the pistol, and exclaimed: “Damme, if you don’t beat all hollow, Soldier! It ain’t me as would be hurt if I was to pull this trigger!”
“If you were to do anything so mutton-headed, you’d be an even bigger gudgeon than I take you for—which isn’t possible!” said John. “I’ve a strong liking for Rose, but I don’t dangle after women ten years older than I am, however comely they may be!”
“You’re Quality, and they’re not particular where they throw out their damned lures—just for a bit o’ sport to while away the time!” muttered Chirk.
“I shan’t be particular where I throw you out, if you make me lose my temper!” said the Captain grimly. “What the devil do you mean by talking of a decent woman as if she were a light frigate?”
Mr. Chirk flushed, and pocketed his pistol. “I never thought such!” he protested. “It just put me in a tweak, thinking—But I see as I was mistaken! No offence, Soldier! The thing is, I get fair blue-devilled! There’s times when I wish I’d never set eyes on Rose, seeing as she’s one as is above my touch. She’s respectable, and I’m a hedge-bird, and no help for it! But I did set eyes on her, and the more I make up my mind to it I won’t come here no more, the more I can’t keep away. Then I knew she’d whiddled the whole scrap to you—”
“Nothing of the sort! She never mentioned you,” interrupted John. “It was her mistress who told me the story!”