Neil’s cheeks went a little white, but he only smiled as he said: “No use getting mad about it, Stuart. He had a right to turn me down if he wanted to, I guess.”
“No, he didn’t, by jingo! He—Look here!” Stuart paused in his irritable tramping between door and table. “How’d you know?”
“Must have guessed it from your manner,” laughed Neil. “How many were there against me?”
“One, but that was enough. It was Steve Le Gette, the dirty dog. He doesn’t like me, but that’s no reason to take it out on you! Just because I put your name up——”
“Are you sure it was Le Gette?” Neil looked puzzled. “Why, I don’t even know him, except by sight! Why should he—he——”
“Because he wanted to get at me, I tell you! But I’ll get him, Neil, as sure as shooting!”
“Did he tell you he did it?”
“Tell me? Of course he didn’t! He wouldn’t have had the courage to tell it! But he looked it. It was on his ugly face from the moment I got there. I half suspected it, but I couldn’t quite think he’d do it, even if he wanted to. Every one there was so—so astonished they wouldn’t believe it! We took the vote over! If you’d seen the sneering, rotten look he gave me afterwards! I wish I’d punched his face right then. If Moffit hadn’t been there——”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” said Neil quietly. “After all, it’s rather my affair than it is yours, isn’t it?”
Stuart stared in real surprise. It hadn’t occurred to him before that Neil might be the one to feel it most. Even now he wasn’t ready to acknowledge it.