“I’d oughta fired him long ago, when he first commenced building trouble,” he remarked, to no one in particular.  “The darned lamb-licker—­he’s broke and has been all evening.  I don’t know what made me stand for ’im long as I did.”

Billy, moved perhaps by weariness rather than mercy, let go his man and straightened up, feeling mechanically for his hat.  His eyes met those of the melancholy Mr. Dill.

“If you’re quite through”—­bang! went the heads—­“perhaps we may as well”—­bang!—­“leave this unruly crowd”—­bang!!—­“and go to our room.  It is after eleven o’clock.”  Mr. Dill looked as though his present occupation was unpleasant but necessary and as though, to please Billy, he could keep it up indefinitely.

Charming Billy stood quite still, staring at the other and at what he was doing; and while he stared and wondered, something came into the heart of him and quite changed his destiny.  He did not know what it was, or why it was so; at the time he realized only a deep amazement that Mr. Dill, mild of manner, correct of speech and wistful-eyed, should be standing there banging the heads of two men who were considered rather hard to handle.  Certainly Jack Morgan was reputed a “bad actor” when it came to giving blows.  And while Alexander P. Dill was a big man—­an enormous man, one might say—­he had none of the earmarks of a fighting man.  It was, perhaps, his very calmness that won Billy for good and all.  Before, Charming Billy had felt toward him a certain amused pity; his instinct had been to protect Mr. Dill.  He would never feel just that way again; Mr. Dill, it would seem, was perfectly well able to protect himself.

“Shall we go?” Mr. Dill poised the two heads for another bang and held them so.  By this time every one in the room was watching, but he had eyes only for Billy.

“Just as you say,” Billy assented submissively.

Mr. Dill shook the two with their faces close together, led them to a couple of chairs and set them emphatically down.  “Now, see if you can behave yourselves,” he advised, in the tone a father would have used toward two refractory boys.  “You have been acting boorishly and disgracefully all evening.  It was you who directed me wrong, to-day.  You have not, at any time since I first met you, acted like gentlemen; I should be sorry to think this country held many such brainless louts.”  He turned inquiringly toward Charming Billy and nodded his head toward the door.  Billy, stooping unsteadily for his hat which he discovered under his feet, followed him meekly out.

CHAPTER VII.

“Till Hell’s a Skating-rink.”