“One moment, Burke.  I have something to say to you.  That bout you said you had with O’Hallohan—­”

“Well, what of it?” answered Marty, suddenly raising his voice.

“He knocked you out.”

“Who says so?” roared Burke.

“He knocked you out,” repeated Vincent.

“Who says so?” Burke roared again, and somehow there was less confidence in the same volume of sound.

“Well, not O’Hallohan; He stayed bought.  But I have it straight.  No, I’m not trying to draw you out on a guess.  I don’t play that kind of game.  If I tell you I know it for a fact, I do.”

“Well, and what of it?” said Marty.

“Just this.  I wouldn’t dismiss a man for getting knocked out by a bigger man—­”

“He ain’t bigger.”

“By a better fighter, then; but I doubt whether or not I want a foreman who has to resort to that kind of thing—­to buying off the man who licked—­”

“I didn’t buy him off,” said Burke, as if he knew the distinction, even in his own mind, was a fine one.

“Oh, yes, you did,” answered Farron.  And getting up, with his hands in his pockets, he added, “I’m afraid your usefulness to me is over, Burke.”

“The hell it is!”

“My wife is here, Marty,” said Farron, very pleasantly.  “But this story isn’t the only thing I have against you.  My friend Mrs. Wayne tells me you are exerting a bad influence over a fellow whose marriage she wants to get annulled.”

“Oh, let ’em get it annulled!” shouted Marty on a high and rising key.  “What do I care?  I’ll do anything to oblige if I’m asked right; but when Mrs. Wayne and that gang come around bullying me, I won’t do a thing for them.  But, if you ask me to, Mr. Farron, why, I’m glad to oblige you.”

“Thank you, Marty,” returned his employer, cordially.  “If you arrange that for me, I must own it would make me feel differently.  I tell you,” he added, as one who suggests an honorable compromise, “you get that settled up, you get that marriage annulled—­that is, if you think you can—­”

“Sure I can,” Burke replied, swaying his body about from the waist up, as if to indicate the ease with which it could be accomplished.

“Well, when that’s done, come back, and we’ll talk over the other matter.  Perhaps, after all—­well, we’ll talk it over.”

Burke walked to the door with his usual conquering step, but there turned.

“Say,” he said, “that story about the fight—­” He looked at Adelaide.  “Ladies don’t always understand these matters.  Tell her, will you, that it’s done in some first-class fights?”

“I’ll explain,” answered Vincent.

“And there ain’t any use in the story’s getting about,” Burke added.

“It won’t,” said Vincent.  On which assurance Marty went away and left the husband and wife alone.