"I understand, General, and we'll let the subject drop, but if Bob should agree—"
"Stop, there, sir. Bob is not old enough to entertain a business proposition." For a time the old man walked up and down, with his hands behind him and then turned upon the doctor. "I believe, sir, that you are an evil-minded man. For a long time I thought that your laziness was an indication of good nature—the lazy dog is rarely vicious—but now I am of the opinion that you have an active quality, that of rascality, sir."
"General," said the doctor, "I can't stand everything. You forget, sir, that I am a gentleman."
"Oh, do I forget it?" the old man spoke up. "There is a difference between forgetting a thing and never having known it. Bates, I have endeavored to like you, I have striven to crush what I hoped was merely a prejudice, but I can't. I don't think that we have ever held an agreeable conversation. There is something about you that antagonizes me. When you are away I am determined to like you, but when you come back, I find that my resolve is weak. I don't want to drive you off—I would stand most anything rather than face a neighborhood scandal, but don't you think that it would be a good idea for you to go away and stay away for a long time? I say, don't you?"
"You can drive me off, sir."
"Ah, the very thing you want me to do—you want to put my name into the mouths of the gossipers."
"General, you have called me a scoundrel and now you are trying to prove it. I can stand a great deal, but I can't put up with everything—even from you. I have told you that I am a gentleman, and while a gentleman respects age, he cannot permit age to humiliate him. I know that you've got nerve enough to shoot a man who rides into your room—"
"Another word of that, Bates, and I will knock you down."
"You have gone too far," Bates replied in a tone that made me shiver. The moon shone upon his half upturned face and I fancied that I saw the glitter of his evil eyes. Master, who was now standing some distance from him said something which I did not catch and Bates, with his hand upraised, made a stride toward him. At my elbow, on a stand near the window, was a heavy glass tumbler. Indeed, I had long held it in my hand, and when Bates strode forward, I threw the tumbler with all my might. I heard it strike, and leaning out, I saw the doctor lying on the ground. I heard Old Master shout for a light, and now thoroughly frightened. I ran to my lounge and lay there with the cover drawn over my head.