"Never breathed a word of it," said the widow, gazing somewhat reproachfully at the discomfited Mr. Burton.
"Well, tell it now, Burton," said Mr. Stiles.
"You tell it better than I do, sir," said the other.
"No, no," said Mr. Stiles, whose powers of invention were not always to be relied upon. "You tell it; it's your story."
The widow looked from one to the other. "It's your story, sir," said Mr. Burton.
"No, I won't tell it," said Mr. Stiles. "It wouldn't be fair to you, Burton. I'd forgotten that when I spoke. Of course, you were young at the time, still——"
"I done nothing that I'm ashamed of, sir," said Mr. Burton, trembling with passion.
"I think it's very hard if I'm not to hear it," said Mrs. Dutton, with her most fascinating air.
Mr. Stiles gave her a significant glance, and screwing up his lips nodded in the direction of Mr. Burton.
"At any rate, you were in the chimney with me, sir," said that unfortunate.