ned ever so slightly.

"You surely did not come here," she said icily, "merely to discuss the
circumstances of our first meeting."

"N--no, not at all, at least, not altogether, Miss Habberton. But I--I
couldn't help hoping--" here I tried to smile--a ghastly one at
best--"I couldn't help hoping that you had managed to forgive me for
performing a very unpleasant duty."

"If you will please come as quickly as possible to the object of your
visit--"

"I--I will. If you'll be a little patient with me."

She averted her head, but said nothing.

"I think you know, Miss Habberton, that I've given the last eleven
years of my life to Jerry. He has been like a younger brother to me
and I have done what I could to develop him physically, mentally,
morally, to successful manhood. I had hoped under ideal conditions to
produce--"

"I fail to see, Mr. Canby--"

"Please bear with me a moment longer. I think you may have realized
last year what Jerry was. You saw him then, a creature with the body
and intelligence of a man and the heart of a child. He was what I had
made him. From my point of view he was flawless, as nearly perfect as
you will find a man in this--"

"Without temptations," she put in quickly, the first encouraging sign
of her interest.

"I had built my hopes as I had built his body and mind and character,
sure that contact with the world would only refine and strengthen
him."

She shook her head. "You do not know the world as I do. It was a
dream. I could have told you so then, last summer."

"You--you have seen the papers--the accounts of--?"

"I don't see how I could very well help seeing them," she said
smiling. "He began his battle with the world bravely at least."

"My only hope is that you haven't misjudged him in that affair. All
his life he has cared for boxing--"

"I can't see what difference my judgment of him can make one way or
the other. He has done much, is doing much for the people I'm
interested in. Of course, you know of that. But as to his private
life--that is something with which, of course, I can have no concern."

"I am sorry to hear you say that. I thought perhaps that as a
friend--"

"Mr. Benham understands my interest in him, I think," she paused and
averted her head, one small foot tapping the floor impatiently. "I
cannot see where this conversation is leading us. I beg that you will
be explicit."

"I was counting on your interest, for he values your good opinion more