same old
sixpences as ever."

"Yes," said his father, "two years make less difference with old people
and their old habits than with young ones. You will have changed more
than we have, I fancy."

"Do we dress for dinner?" asked John, after some little more unimportant
talk.

"Yes," said his father, "in honor of the occasion, if you like. I
haven't done it lately," he added, a little wearily.

* * * * *

"I haven't had such a glass of wine since I left home," John remarked as
they sat together after dinner.

"No," said his father, looking thoughtfully at his glass, "it's the old
'Mouton,' and pretty nearly the last of it; it's very old and wants
drinking," he observed as he held his glass up to get the color. "It has
gone off a bit even in two years."

"All right," said John cheerfully, "we'll drink it to save it, if needs
be." The elder man smiled and filled both glasses.

There had been more or less talk during the meal, but nothing of special
moment. John sat back in his chair, absently twirling the stem of his
glass between thumb and fingers. Presently he said, looking straight
before him at the table: "I have been thinking a good deal of late--more
than ever before, positively, in fact--that whatever my prospects may
be," (he did not see the momentary contraction of his father's brow) "I
ought to begin some sort of a career in earnest. I'm afraid," he
continued, "that I have been rather unmindful, and that I might have
been of some use to you as well as myself if I had stayed at home
instead of spending the last two years in Europe."

"I trust," said his father, "that they have not been entirely without
profit."

"No," said John, "perhaps not wholly, but their cash value would not be
large, I'm afraid."

"All value is not to be measured in dollars and cents," remarked Mr.
Lenox. "If I could have acquired as much German and French as I presume
you have, to say nothing of other things, I should look back upon the
time as well spent at almost any cost. At your age a year or two more or
less--you don't realize it now, but you will if you come to my
age--doesn't count for so very much, and you are not too old," he
smiled, "to begin at a beginning."

"I want to begin," said John.

"Yes," said his father, "I want to have you, and I have had the matter a
good deal in my mind. Have you any idea as to what you wish to do?"

"I thought," said John, "that the most obvious thin