"What's here ?" he cried, and laughed contemptuously.

"Oh, ah! You'll follow where his grace leads you! Ye've followed him so long in lewdness that now yell follow him in conversion! But as for you, sir," and he swung fiercely upon Caryll, "you and your precious story--will you maintain it sword in hand ?" "I can do better," answered Mr.Caryll, "if any doubts my word." "As how ?" "I can prove it categorically, by witnesses." "Well said, Caryll," Stapleton approved him.
"And if I say that you lie--you and your witnesses ?" "'T is you will be liar," said Mr.Caryll.
"Besides, it is a little late for that," cut in the duke.
"Your grace," cried Rotherby, "is this affair yours ?" "No, I thank Heaven!" said his grace, and sat down.
Rotherby scowled at the man who until ten minutes ago had been his friend and boon companion, and there was more of contempt than anger in his eyes.

He turned again to Mr.Caryll, who was watching him with a gleam of amusement--that infernally irritating amusement of his--in his gray-green eyes.
"Well ?" he demanded foolishly, "have you naught to say ?" "I had thought," returned Mr.Caryll, "that I had said enough." And the duke laughed aloud.
Rotherby's lip was curled.

"Ha! You don't think, now, that you may have said too much ?" Mr.Caryll stifled a yawn.

"Do you ?" he inquired blandly.
"Ay, by God! Too much for a gentleman to leave unpunished." "Possibly.