ding invitation he muttered some graceless
words concerning his grandmother, but he came into the room and sat
with his elbows on the table. He had an idea of what might be said, and
felt the awkwardness of it.

"That fellow Bates," he observed, "is devouring your book-case
indiscriminately. He seems to be in the sort of fever that needs
distraction every moment. I asked him what he'd have to read, and he
said the next five on the shelf--he's read the first ten."

"It's not of Bates I wish to speak; I want to know what you've decided
to do. Are you going to stick to your father's trade, or take to some
other?"

Robert held one arm above his head, with his fingers through the leaves
of the book he had been reading. He tried to speak in a casual way, but
they both had a disagreeable consciousness that the occasion was
momentous. Alec's mind assumed the cautious attitude of a schoolboy
whispering "_Cave_". He supposed that the other hoped now to achieve by
gentleness what he had been unable to achieve by storm.

"Of course," he answered, "I won't set up here if you'd rather be quit
of me. I'll go as far as British Columbia, if that's necessary to make
you comfortable."

"By that I understand that in these ten months your mind has not
altered."

"No; but as I say, I won't bother you."

"Have you reconsidered the question, or have you stuck to it because you
said you would?"

"I have reconsidered it."

"You feel quite satisfied that, as far as you are concerned, this is the
right thing to do?"

"Yes."

"Well then, as far as I am concerned, I don't want to drive you to the
other side of the continent. You can take advantage of the opening here
if you want to."

Alec looked down at the things on the table. He felt the embarrassment
of detecting his brother in some private religious exercise; nothing, he
thought, but an excess of self-denial could have brought this about;
yet he was gratified.

"Look here! You'd better not say that--I might take you at your word."

"Consider that settled. You set up shop, and I will take a fraternal
interest in the number of animals you kill, and always tell you with
conscientious care when the beef you supply to me is tough. And in the
meantime, tell me, like a good fellow, why you stick to this thing. When
you flung from me last time you gave me no explanation of what you
thought."

"At least," cried Alec, wrath rising at the memory of that quarrel, "I
gave you a fair he