what it can be, but, whatever it is, I believe it's the cause why she doesn't want me to propose to her."
Naturally, I was impressed by this confirmation of my own notion. But I didn't want to say anything about that to John. I laughed, and asked him whether he imagined there was an unknown rival in the case.
He took it very seriously,—in fact, altogether too much so for his health. He jumped up from the window-seat in which he was sitting, and the vein down the centre of his forehead swelled out, and his lips became whitish, and twitched. "There shan't be any rival!" he burst out. "I'd kill him!" And he caught up the Indian club, as if he were going to illustrate his purpose by braining me. But it was not I that was in danger. Poor John suddenly gasped, and looked very strange, and staggered back to the window-seat. I knew at once what ailed him; and this time I succeeded in preventing him from actually losing consciousness. The draught I gave him sent the blood through his veins again with a jump, and the dull stare left his eyes. It was not such a bad attack as the first one. After a minute or two, he sat upright, and looked at me curiously.
"What does it mean, Frank?" he asked. "What is the matter with me?"
"Something wrong with the circulation, that's all. You smoke too much, probably. You must take more care of yourself."
"I felt as if I were going to die."
"So do sea-sick people; but they live all the same. How long has this sort of thing been going on? Was that the first, the other day?"
"Yes; at least—I don't know. Of course it's nothing serious: I was born to live to a hundred. I'm as hard as nails. But it's damned unpleasant while it lasts. Tobacco, is it? Well, I can knock off a pipe or two without much trouble. But what did you mean about a rival, Frank? I'm not an unreasonable fellow, am I? but there isn't room for a rival in this business, you know. He or I would have to"
"My dear fellow, I know nothing about any rival. It was you that suggested the idea to me; and I didn't suppose you were any more in earnest than I was."
"I want you to understand that I'm in earnest right through!" said John, standing up, and lowering his thick brown eyebrows, and speaking in his domineering tone.
I made no reply, but went on with my dressing. The breakfast-bell rang as I reached the last button of my waistcoat.
"Look here, Frank," said John, turning upon me at the door, as
