ughts together, and smiling faintly.

"Ah! I am old," said his father. "Age has its penalties as well as its
privileges; and the freedom to speak plainly is one of the latter. Come,
my boy, what is wrong? At your age I was happy enough; but you seem to
have taken the troubles of the world on your shoulders. Are you ill?"

"No, sir, I am well enough," returned Adrien quietly.

"Then are you worrying over your debts through that unlucky horse?
Because, although, as you know, I do not interfere with your money
matters as a rule, you are quite at liberty to draw on my bank if you
care to do so."

His son turned to him affectionately.

"No, no, sir," he said gratefully. "I don't suppose they are as bad as
all that. Jasper will see to them."

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when he regretted them. His
father's face darkened; his eyes grew fierce.

"Jasper! always Jasper," he snarled, even as Mortimer Shelton had done.
"It's a pity he didn't break his neck this morning, instead of his
miserable tool."

Adrien uttered a protesting exclamation; he would have sacrificed
anything sooner than have given his father this opportunity to revile
his friend.

"You must be blind, sir," continued Lord Barminster, now working himself
up into a rage. "Did not you see and hear enough from that jockey this
morning to make you realise what that precious friend of yours had done?
I tell you, Adrien, that Jasper Vermont bribed that miserable man to
rope your horse. For him, you have allowed your friends, my guests, to
be swindled out of their money."

It was the first time in Adrien's recollection that the proud old man
had ever even hinted that Barminster Castle was not entirely his son's
yet; that the guests were those of his father's choice as well of his
own.

Adrien's eyes blazed.

"Father," he said in a low voice, but as hard as steel, "I know you have
always hated Mr. Vermont, but this goes farther than hate. Forgive me if
I ask you, but surely you have some proofs? Otherwise you would not have
accused him of such villainy. Give them to me, and I promise you to
punish him as severely as you yourself could wish."

"Proofs!" his father repeated sternly with knitted brows. "What proofs
would such a clever scoundrel leave about? This morning's work should be
sufficient proof even to satisfy you."

Adrien drew himself up to his full height, and confronted his father
with a resolute air.

"It is no use, sir," he said