“Jock Calder,” said he, “I never knew you tell a lie.  You are not trying to score trick against trick, are you?  Honest now, between man and man.”

“It’s God’s truth,” said I.

He stood looking at me, and his face had set like that of a man who is having a hard fight with himself.  It was a long two minutes before he spoke.

“See here, Jock!” said he.  “This woman is fooling us both.  D’you hear, man? she’s fooling us both!  She loves you at West Inch, and she loves me on the braeside; and in her devil’s heart she cares a whin-blossom for neither of us.  Let’s join hands, man, and send the hellfire hussy to the right-about!”

But this was too much.  I could not curse her in my own heart, and still less could I stand by and hear another man do it; not though it was my oldest friend.

“Don’t you call names!” I cried.

“Ach! you sicken me with your soft talk!  I’ll call her what she should be called!”

“Will you, though?” said I, lugging off my coat.  “Look you here, Jim Horscroft, if you say another word against her, I’ll lick it down your throat, if you were as big as Berwick Castle!  Try me and see!”

He peeled off his coat down to the elbows, and then he slowly put it on again.

“Don’t be such a fool, Jock!” said he.  “Four stone and five inches is more than mortal man can give.  Two old friends mustn’t fall out over such a—­well, there, I won’t say it.  Well, by the Lord, if she hasn’t nerve for ten!”

I looked round, and there she was, not twenty yards from us, looking as cool and easy and placid as we were hot and fevered.

“I was nearly home,” said she, “when I saw you two boys very busy talking, so I came all the way back to know what it was about.”

Horscroft took a run forward and caught her by the wrist.  She gave a little squeal at the sight of his face, but he pulled her towards where I was standing.

“Now, Jock, we’ve had tomfoolery enough,” said he.  “Here she is.  Shall we take her word as to which she likes?  She can’t trick us now that we’re both together.”

“I am willing,” said I.

“And so am I. If she goes for you, I swear I’ll never so much as turn an eye on her again.  Will you do as much for me?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Well then, look here, you!  We’re both honest men, and friends, and we tell each other no lies; and so we know your double ways.  I know what you said last night.  Jock knows what you said to-day.  D’you see?  Now then, fair and square!  Here we are before you; once and have done.  Which is it to be, Jock or me?”

You would have thought that the woman would have been overwhelmed with shame, but instead of that her eyes were shining with delight; and I dare wager that it was the proudest moment of her life.  As she looked from one to the other of us, with the cold morning sun glittering on her face, I had never seen her look so lovely.  Jim felt it also, I am sure; for he dropped her wrist, and the harsh lines were softened upon his face.