"Roly," said he, "Balaam must miss you terribly."
"That ain't no answer." Lockwood put himself solidly between Nat and the object of his obscure remark--who was painfully digesting it. "I want to know about this. You got my daughter to say she'd marry you this evenin', and you've got to explain to me about this bank business before it goes any further."
"Yes!" thundered Blinky. "Do you deny it? ... Answer me."
To Kellogg's huge diversion, Nat struck an attitude, "I refuse to answer," said he.
"Aha! What'd I tell you?" This was Roland's triumphant crow.
"Nat!" Josie advanced, trembling with excitement. "Tell me, what does this mean?"
Duncan perforce avoided her gaze. "Don't ask," he said sadly.
"You heard what Roly said," he replied, with a chastened expression.
"Oh-h!" The girl drew away from him as from defilement. "I--I hate you!" she cried in a voice of loathing
"That's all right," he told her serenely; "I've despised myself all evening."
The girl showed him a scornful back. "Papa----" she began.
"Don't thank me, Josie. Roland done it all: he got onto him." Lockwood continued to watch Duncan with the air of a cat eyeing a mouse.
Impulsively Josie moved to Roland's side and caught his arm. He drew himself up proudly.
"I do thank you, Roland; I can never be grateful enough. I've been so foolish.
"That's all right." Roland tucked the girl's hand beneath his arm and patted it down. "You wasn't to blame. I never seen anyone from Noo York yet that wasn't a crook."
"Won't you please take me away from this--place, Roland?" she appealed.
"I'll be mighty glad to see you home, Josie," he assured her generously, turning.
In the act of leaving, Josie caught Nat's eye. She hung back for an instant, withering him with a glare. "Oh-h!" she cried. "How did you dare pretend to care for me?"
He bowed politely. "It was one of the rules, Josie."
"There's no need to tell you, I guess, that the engagement is broken."
"None whatever, Miss Lockwood. Good-evening."
Arm in arm they left, with the haughty tread of the elect, while Pete Willing lurched to Duncan's side and caught his arm.
"Come 'long to jail, Mish'r Duncan," he said with sympathy. "Mush bessher."
"You look after him, Pete." Lockwood turned to leave with a final shot for Duncan. "I'll 'tend to your case in the mornin', young man, and I'll make you wish you never came to this town."