"It's true, by Jove!--true as you live. What's more, he cracked me up as
though I was the only man alive--said that when it came to a question of
who was worthy--worthy to marry you--he wasn't fit to black my boots."
"No," Davenant cried, fiercely. "There was no question of me."
"Bosh! Bosh, my good fellow! When a man does what you've done there's no
question of any one but him."
The color was hot in Davenant's cheeks, but he himself could not have
told whether it came from astonishment or anger. "Since Colonel Ashley
knows so well what happened, I shall leave him to tell it."
He was about to make his escape, when Olivia stopped him. "No, no.
Wait--please wait. Tell me why you did it."
"I'll tell you," Ashley broke in. He spoke with a kind of nervous
jauntiness. "I'll tell you, by Jove! We had a row. I called him a cad. I
called him a damned cad. There _was_ a damned cad present on that
occasion--only--I didn't hit the right nail on the head. But that's not
what I'm coming to. He struck me. He struck me right in the teeth, by
Jove! And when a man strikes you, it's an insult that can only be wiped
out by blood. Very well; he's offered it--his blood. He didn't wait for
me to draw it. I suppose he thought I wouldn't go in for the heroic. So
of his own accord he went over there to France and shed his heart's
blood, in the hope that I might overlook his offence. All right, old
chap; I overlook it."
With a laugh Ashley held his hand up toward Davenant, who ignored it.
"Miss Guion," Davenant said, huskily, "Colonel Ashley is pleased to put
his own interpretation on what was in itself a very simple thing. You
mayn't think it a very creditable thing, but I'll tell you just what
happened, and you can draw your own conclusions. I went over to France,
and saw your aunt, the Marquise, and asked her to let me have my money
back. That's the plain truth of it. She'll tell you so herself. I'd
heard she was very fond of you--devoted to you--and that she was very
rich and generous--and so I thought, if I told her exactly how matters
stood, it would be a good chance to--to--recoup myself for--the loan."
Ashley sprang up with another laugh. "He does that well, doesn't he?" he
said to Olivia. "Come along, old boy," he added, slipping his arm
through Davenant's. "If I let you stay here you'll perjure your very
soul."
Davenant allowed himself to be escorted to the door. Over his shoulder
Ashley called back to Olivia: "Fellows are never good friends till after
they've had a fight."