“What’s that?” asked Dick.
“Get Taylor back. Now wait a moment, Hope. I don’t propose to interfere with you, not a particle.”
“I hadn’t any such idea,” protested Dick.
“All right. What I propose to do is to go with you to see this contrary beggar and make one more appeal to him; and if you say now that you’d rather not ask him again—for I can well understand your having feeling in the matter—I’ll drop the project and say nothing more about it; we’ll fight it out without Taylor. On the other hand, if you are willing to try again and don’t object to my—well, sticking my finger into your pie, as it were, we’ll go together and have it out with him. What do you say?”
Dick hesitated, and Kirk, without appearing to do so, eyed him intently. Kirk, believing that a quarrel existed between the two boys, imagined that Dick was having a struggle with his vanity. “And,” Kirk told himself, “I sha’n’t blame him if he refuses.” But Dick didn’t refuse. Knowing upon what terms Taylor would alone consent to return to training, he mentally threw back his shoulders and replied:
“I think there may be a chance of Taylor’s having reconsidered. But I think your request would have more weight, and I’d rather that you’d ask him. As for your interfering, I hadn’t thought of it; and I shouldn’t consider it that, sir. If you like we’ll go over and see him now.”
“A good idea; no time like the present. Where does he room?”
“At Coolidge’s.”
“Coolidge’s? I guess I don’t know that. Is it near here?”
“Well, not very, it’s almost the last house in the village, I guess; just beyond the Episcopal Church.”