"You can go to supper, Gerald," he said.

Gerald put up the butter, and went out with John Holman.

"How can you stand Abel's insolence?" asked John, hotly.

"Because I despise him. He is only acting according to his nature. He is what the English call a cad."

"He thinks himself superior to you."

"He is probably alone in that opinion, and I don't mind what he thinks."

In the evening, when the store closed, Brandon said to him:

"Come round to the billiard-room and play a game with me, Gerald."

"Thank you, but I don't play billiards."

"I will teach you. You will learn easily."