The curt speech, the almost fiercely contemptuous bearing, the absolute, unwavering assurance of this man whom but a moment before he had so arrogantly trampled underfoot sent through him such a shock of amazement as nearly deprived him of the power to think.

Perhaps for the first time in his life he was utterly and completely at a loss.

Only as he gazed at the man before him, there came upon him, sudden as a blow, the memory of a certain hot day more than a year before when he and Everard Monck had wrestled together in the Club gymnasium for the benefit of a little crowd of subalterns who had eagerly betted upon the result.

It had been sinew _versus_ weight, and after a tough struggle sinew had prevailed.

He remembered the unpleasant sensation of defeat even now though he had had the grit to take it like a man and get up laughing.