have an heir."

"Adopt one."

"As did Aymer?" He shot a questioning glance at him. "It's such a
risk. I might not be so lucky. Sons like Christopher are not to be had
for nothing."

"No, they are not," said Charles Aston drily. "They are the result of
years of love and patience, of generous tolerance, of unquenchable
courage. They bring days of joy which must be paid for with hours of
anxiety and nights of pain. Were you prepared to give your son this,
even if you had taken him to you as a boy?"

Peter waved his big hand again. "I quite admit all that is needed to
produce men of your pattern, Cousin Charles, and I have the
profoundest admiration for the result; but I am not ambitious; I
should be content to produce the ordinary successful man."

"I think Christopher will score a success."

"Yes, in spite of you both, by reason of his practical, determined,
hard-headed nature which he probably inherits from his father, eh?"

"You are probably right. I am not in a position to say."

"You did not know his parents?"

Charles Aston pushed back his chair and looked beyond Peter to the
portrait of Aymer. They must come to close quarters or he would give
out, and suddenly it came to him that he must adhere to his universal
rule, must give the better side of the man's nature a chance before he
openly defied him. The decision was made quite quickly. Peter only
recognised a slight pause. "You seem interested in Christopher," Mr.
Aston said slowly. "I will tell you what there is to know. About
eleven years ago Aymer became possessed of a passionate desire to have
a boy to bring up, since he might not have one of his own. In hunting
for a suitable one I stumbled on the son of someone I had known who
had fallen on very evil days." He stopped a moment. Peter took out
another cigar and lit it. "On very evil days," repeated the other.
"The boy was left at a country workhouse in this county as it
happened. I knew enough of his paternity to know that he was a
suitable subject for Aymer to father. I have never regretted what I
did. The boy has become the mainspring of Aymer's life; he lives again
in him. All that has been denied him, he finds in Christopher's
career; all he cannot give the world he has given to this boy, this
son of his heart and soul. No father could love more, could suffer
more. And Christopher is repaying him. He has known no father but
Aymer, no authority but his, no conflicting claim. I pray God daily
tha