Still the Speaker was silent.
"Cæsar and me were middling well acquaint when I was milling at Ballabeg and he was hutching at Port St. Mary—in fact we were same as brothers."
"I see what you mean to do, Mr. Collister," said the Speaker, "but you can save yourself the trouble. My lad is in this house now if you want to know, but I'm sending him to sea, and before you can get to Castletown he will have left the island."
"And what will the island say to that, Sir?" said Dan. "That Archibald Gell, Spaker of the Kays, chairman of everything, and the biggest man going, barring the Dempster, has had to send his son away to save him from the lock-up."
The Speaker took two threatening strides forward, and Dan rose to his feet. There was silence again as the two men stood face to face, but this time it was broken by the Speaker's breathing also. Then he turned aside and said, with a shamefaced look:
"I'll hear what Kerruish has to say. I have to see him in the morning."
"I lave it with you, Sir; I lave it with you," said Dan.
"Good-day, Mr. Collister."
"Good-day to you, Mr. Spaker! And you, too, Mistress Gell!" said Dan. But having reached the door of the room he stopped and added:
"There's one thing more, though. If my girl is to live with me she must work for her meat, and there must be no more sooreying."