Slowly Lucas lifted his heavy eyes.  “Send Hudson to me,” he said.

Nap looked at him sharply.  Then, “Lean on me,” he said.  “I’ll help you.”

“No.  Send Hudson.”  The words ended upon a stifled groan.

Nap turned swiftly and dragged forward the settee.  “Lie down here for a minute, while I fetch him.  Don’t faint, man!  You will be easier directly.  You have been on your feet too long.  There!  Is that better?”

Lucas drew a long, shuddering breath and slowly suffered his limbs to relax.  His face was ghastly though he forced himself to smile.

“Yes, I am better.  Don’t call Hudson for a minute.  Nap!”

Nap bent.

“Put your hand under my shoulders.  Ah!  That’s a help.  I always like your touch.  Say, Boney,” the words came gaspingly, the sunken eyes were heavy with pain, “you’ll think me a mean brute.  I am, dear fellow, I am; a coward, too, from the same point of view.  But—­ill or well, I’ve got to say it.  You’ve been running amok to-day, and it’s been altogether too lively to be just pleasant.  You’ve got to pull up.  I say it.”

Nap’s smile had utterly departed.  It was some other impulse that twitched his lips as he made reply.

“Whatever you say is law.”

“Thanks!  I’m duly grateful.  Do you mind wiping my forehead?  I’m too lazy to move.  Boney, old chap, he’s a well-behaved youngster on the whole.  What do you want to bait him for?”

“Because I’m a jealous devil,” Nap said through his teeth.

“Oh, rats, dear fellow!  We are not talking in parables.  You’re a bit of a savage, I know, but—­”

“More than that,” threw in Nap.

“No—­no!  You can hold yourself in if you try.  And why jealous, anyway?  We’re all brothers.  Say, Boney, I’m going to hurt you infernally.  You hit the youngster below the belt.  It was foul play.”

“What can you expect?” muttered Nap.

“I expect—­better things.  If you must be a beast, be a clean beast.  If you must hit out now and then, give him a chance to hit back.  It’s kind of shabby—­the game you played today.”

“Are you going to make me apologise?” asked Nap grimly.

“Shucks, no; He would think you were laughing at him.  Clap him on the back and tell him not to be a fool.  He’ll understand that.”

“And wish him luck with the parson’s daughter?” said Nap, with a sneer.

“Why not, old chap?”

“You really mean to let him marry the first girl who runs after his dollars?”

“It isn’t the dollars,” said the millionaire gently.  “And she isn’t running after him either.  She’s running away.”

“Same thing sometimes,” said Nap.

“Oh, don’t be cynical, Boney!  It’s so damned cheap!  There!  I’ve done swearing at you for the present.  It’s wonderful how you fellows bear with me.  Find Hudson, will you?  And then go and tell Lady Carfax that I am afraid I can’t visit her this evening as I had hoped.”