"M--m--yes," he answered slowly. "All right. Let's drive in the park."

But she could see that the prospect was not alluring to him.

"No," she said, "no. I don't think you want to do that."

"I don't think I do, either," he admitted. "The fact is, Laura, I just
about know that park by heart. Is there anything good in the magazines
this month?"

She got them for him, and he installed himself comfortably in the
library, with a box of cigars near at hand.

"Ah," he said, fetching a long breath as he settled back in the
deep-seated leather chair. "Now this is what I call solid comfort.
Better than stewing and fussing about La Salle Street with your mind
loaded down with responsibilities and all. This is my idea of life."

But an hour later, when Laura--who had omitted her ride that
morning--looked into the room, he was not there. The magazines were
helter-skeltered upon the floor and table, where he had tossed each one
after turning the leaves. A servant told her that Mr. Jadwin was out in
the stables.

She saw him through the window, in a cap and great-coat, talking with
the coachman and looking over one of the horses. But he came back to
the house in a little while, and she found him in his smoking-room with
a novel in his hand.

"Oh, I read that last week," she said, as she caught a glimpse of the
title. "Isn't it interesting? Don't you think it is good?"

"Oh--yes--pretty good," he admitted. "Isn't it about time for lunch?
Let's go to the matinee this afternoon, Laura. Oh, that's so, it's
Thursday; I forgot."

"Let me read that aloud to you," she said, reaching for the book. "I
know you'll be interested when you get farther along."

"Honestly, I don't think I would be," he declared. "I've looked ahead
in it. It seems terribly dry. Do you know," he said, abruptly, "if the
law was off I'd go up to Geneva Lake and fish through the ice. Laura,
how would you like to go to Florida?"

"Oh, I tell you," she exclaimed. "Let's go up to Geneva Lake over
Christmas. We'll open up the house and take some of the servants along
and have a house party."

Eventually this was done. The Cresslers and the Gretrys were invited,
together with Sheldon Corthell and Landry Court. Page and Aunt Wess'
came as a matter of course. Jadwin brought up some of the horses and a
couple of sleighs. On Christmas night they had a great tree, and
Corthell composed the words and music for a carol which had a great
success.

About a week