"All right," he said quickly, with a hurried glance at the door behind him.

"Now that you think better of it, I'll be frank with you, and tell you I'm your friend.

You understand,--your friend.
Don't talk much to those men--don't give yourself away to them;" he laughed this time in absolute natural embarrassment.

"Don't talk about your wife, and this house, but just say you've made the thing up with me,--with ME, you know, and I'll see you through." An idea, as yet vague, that he could turn Collinson's unexpected docility to his own purposes, possessed him even in his embarrassment, and he was still more strangely conscious of his inordinate vanity gathering a fearful joy from Collinson's evident admiration.

It was heightened by his captive's next words.
"Ef I wasn't tied I'd shake hands with ye on that.