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"Then let us postpone it I shall probably be at my office if you are anxious to see me"

Quarrier looked at him, then laid aside his hat and sat down There was little to be done in diplomacy with an oaf like that

"Mr Plank," he said, without any eether Have you considered it?"

"No, I haven't," replied Plank

"I mean, for you and me to try to understand each other"

"For us?" asked Plank, raising his blond eyebrows "Do you amated Electric and Inter-County, impersonally?"

"I mean for us, personally"

"There is no way," said Plank, with conviction

"I think there is"

"You are wasting tied eyes began to narrow, but his caly in this duel," he said

"Oh, no; I don't feel wasted"

"We are also wasting opportunities," continued Quarrier slowly "This wholeour constant effort, constant attention"

"I beg your pardon, Mr Quarrier, but you take it too seriously I have found, in this affair, nothing except a rather agreeable mental exhilaration"

"Mr Plank, if you are not inclined to be serious--"

"I aely that Quarrier, startled, could not doubt hi that is hard to overcome, I like to overco you with the greatest possible satisfaction to myself"

"Perhaps you see victory ahead," said Quarrier calmly

"I do, Mr Quarrier, I do But not in thein whatyour victory, Mr Plank?"

"No, I don'tyou I have no batteries to mask I don't care how much you know about my resources; so I'll tell you what I see, Mr Quarrier I see a parody of the popular battle between razor-back and rattler The rattler only strives to strike and kill, not to s Mr Quarrier, that old razor-back isn't going ho hoh with the natural history you quote to follow you," said Quarrier with a sneer, his long fingers busy with the silky point of his beard

"No, you won't follow me home; you'll come with me, when it's all over Now is it very plain to you, Mr Quarrier?"

Quarrier said, without ee our differences on a basis absolutely satisfactory to you and to ton"