to
alarm you unnecessarily, but if you had seen him galloping about in
a domino and a false nose at two o'clock in the morning I cannot
help thinking you would share my concern. He seems also to have
lost all his old caution about money matters. Are you aware that he
is stopping at the Hotel Gigantique, of all places, and doing
himself and your brother Frank like a couple of millionaires? I
cannot help considering this a very remarkable symptom.

"I myself am in bed to-day, so pray forgive the handwriting.--With
kind regards to you all, believe me, yours sincerely,

"CHARLES MUNRO."

The firmament seemed to darken as though a thunderstorm brooded over the
devoted house. Already in fancy Andrew could hear the first crashings
and flashes of the coming scandal. His appetite vanished, his coffee
grew cold, and presently he rose and silently left the room. Yet the man
of superior mental equipment rarely fails to extract some crumbs of
consolation out of the direst disaster. Andrew extracted his by
summoning Jean before he started for the office and handing her the
terrible letter. As he watched her read it, the phrase shaped by his
countenance might be read without the aid of any signal-book--

"What did I tell you?"

Certainly there was a well-earned morsel of satisfaction to be derived
from her startled eyes and the little catches in her breath. She could
believe him now! When she spoke at last her first words were exceedingly
gratifying.

"What a horrid old man he must be!"

He looked suitably reproachful.

"That is strong language to use of your father."

Her eyes blazed.

"I am talking of Colonel Munro! The idea of giving father away like
that. It's one of the very meanest things I ever heard of! I sincerely
hope he may be in bed for a month."

She swept away, and her brother was left to brood gloomily upon the
selfish perversity that thus actually defrauded him of his legitimate
triumph.

CHAPTER VII

"Well," said Andrew, "what is to be done?"

The problem was undoubtedly delicate. He had paid it the compliment of
summoning his two sensible married sisters to aid him with their
counsel; and even they, though not lacking in decision as a rule,
regarded first the Colonel's letter and then their brother with
disturbed and doubtful eyes. He gave them no hint of the dreadful and
disreputable change in their father's ve