ions, but the colonel was Harry's
father.

The colonel turned quickly: "Resent it here! under his own roof, and the
man his guest? That is one thing, my dear, a Rutter never violates,
no matter what the provocation. I have made a special exception in
Mr. Willits's favor to-night and Harry knows it. It was at your dear
father's request that I invited the young fellow. And then again, I hear
the most delightful things about his own father, who though a plain man
is of great service to his county--one of Mr. Clay's warmest adherents.
All this, you see, makes it all the more incumbent that both my son and
myself should treat him with the utmost consideration, and, as I have
said, Harry understands this perfectly. You don't know my boy; I would
disown him, Kate, if he laid a hand on Mr. Willits--and so should you."

CHAPTER V

When Dr. Teackle shut the door of the ballroom upon himself and Mark
Gilbert the two did not tarry long in the colonel's den, which was still
occupied by half a dozen of the older men, who were being beguiled by a
relay of hot terrapin that Alec had just served. On the contrary, they
continued on past the serving tables, past old Cobden Dorsey, who was
steeped to the eyes in Santa Cruz rum punch; past John Purviance, and
Gatchell and Murdoch, smacking their lips over the colonel's Madeira,
dived through a door leading first to a dark passage, mounted to a short
flight of steps leading to another dark passage, and so on through a
second door until they reached a small room level with the ground. This
was the colonel's business office, where he conducted the affairs of the
estate--a room remote from the great house and never entered except
on the colonel's special invitation and only then when business of
importance necessitated its use.

That business of the very highest importance--not in any way connected
with the colonel, though of the very gravest moment--was being enacted
here to-night, could be seen the instant Teackle, with Gilbert at
his heels, threw open the door. St. George and Harry were in one
corner--Harry backed against the wall. The boy was pale, but perfectly
calm and silent. On his face was the look of a man who had a duty to
perform and who intended to go through with it come what might. On the
opposite side of the room stood Willits with two young men, his most
intimate friends. They had followed him out of the ballroom to learn the
cause of his sudden outburst, and so f