ought pressed the knowledge that neither of these two
men who had done so much for him made the least claim on his life or
asked ought of him but success in his chosen line--and that knowledge
was both sweet and bitter to him.

"Caesar will be far better satisfied when you are actually started at
work," Mr. Aston went on. "He lives in your future, Christopher, he is
more impatient for this training period to be over than you
yourself."

"Because I am training and have no time to think. The first real step
is coming. I have a good chance, only I must tell him first."

He quickened his steps insensibly, for the thought of Caesar waiting
was like a spur even to physical effort, and even so his mind outraced
his feet, till it came full tilt against a girl coming directly from
its goal and momentarily obliterating it by her very presence.

"Oh, Christopher, Christopher," Patricia cried, holding out both
hands. "How long you have been! I began to think you never would come
again!"

Christopher, taking her hands, felt it was a long two years since they
parted and that time had made fair road here meanwhile. His thoughts
outpaced his feet no longer, but kept decent step with the light
footfall beside him.

Mr. Aston, following, noted it all, and first smiled and then sighed a
little. The smile was for them and the little sigh for Aymer waiting
within.

He found, however, little reason to repeat his sigh during the next
few weeks, for Christopher was in constant attendance on Aymer, and
gave but the residue of his time to the rest of the little world. His
suspicions as to Aymer's well-being vanished away, for the latter
betrayed by no outward sign the sleepless nights and long days spent
in wrestling with intangible dread of impending evil and the return of
almost forgotten black hours. Indeed, Christopher's steady dependable
strength and vigorous energy seemed to renew belief and confidence in
the man with whom life had broken faith. He was jealously greedy of
Christopher's company, though he sought to hide this under a mask of
indifference, and he made a deliberate attempt to keep him near him by
the exercise of every personal and social gift he possessed. It was
not enough for him to hold his adopted son's affection by the bond of
the past, it was not enough to be loved by force of custom, his
present individuality struggled for recognition and won it.
Deliberately, skilfully and successfully he bound Christopher to