e, and he swore fiercely as he fell
back and found his father's arms round him.

"Aymer, if you are going to be so childish, I shall tell Christopher
not to go."

"No. I'm a fool, but I won't have him know it. He must go if he
will."

"There is nothing to fear if he does. What is wrong with you?"

"I want to go back to town, I'm tired of this."

"You are far better here than in town," said his father uneasily.

"I'm well enough anywhere."

"I shall have to tell Christopher not to go."

"No." The tone was sharply negative again, and after a moment's
silence Aymer said in a low, grudging voice, "You've always helped
before; are you going to desert me now?"

For answer his father got up and pushed the big sliding sofa away from
the window.

"Very well, then behave yourself better, Aymer, and don't ford a
stream before you come to it. You've got to listen to Penruddock's
speech." He folded back the _Times_ and began to read.

When Christopher came back a little later he saw no sign of the
trouble. Perhaps he was a little too much engrossed in his own
perplexities to be as observant as usual.

"Caesar, do you think it's a shabby thing to stay with a man you don't
like?"

"Are you going?"

"I think so. I want to see how he does it."

"Does what?"

"Makes his money. Does it seem shabby to you?"

"You can't know if you like him or not. You know nothing about him."

"I shall be back at the end of the week. You don't mind my going,
Caesar? I'd rather go before I settle down."

"Another week's peace," returned Caesar, indifferently. "The truth is,
you're in a scrape and putting off confession, young man."

Christopher laughed at him.

They were to leave early next morning, so Peter Masters bade Aymer
good-bye that night. He apologised clumsily for taking Christopher
away so soon after his long absence.

"It's the only free week I've got for months, and I want to study your
handiwork, Aymer."

"Christopher has points. I don't know how many score to me," returned
his cousin with steadily forced indifference.

"Well, you've taken more trouble over him than most fathers would
do."

"Are you an expert?"

Peter laughed grimly and stood looking at Aymer with his chin in his
hand, a curiously characteristic attitude of doubt with him.

"You won't be overpleased when he wants to marry, which he is sure to
do just when he's become useful to you."

For the first time in his life Peter Masters recognised