you know that I have never willingly done a dishonest
act."

"Never," said the doctor, reaching out his hand, to which the other
clung. "You had proof of my faith in you when I became your bondman."

"Exactly."

"Then, now, let's talk about something else."

"No," said Deering, firmly. "I must show you first that I was not so
rash and foolish as you think. Mrs Lee, may I clear this table?"

"Oh, certainly," said Aunt Hannah, rather stiffly. "Vane, my dear, will
you move the lamp to the chimney."

Vane lifted it and placed it on the mantelpiece, while Mr Deering moved
a book or two and the cloth from the round low table, and then opening a
padlock at the end of the long round tin case, he drew out a great roll
of plans and spread them on the table, placing books at each corner, to
keep them open.

"Here," he said, growing excited, "is my invention. I want you all to
look--you, in particular, Vane, for it will interest you from its
similarity to a plan you had for heating your conservatory."

Vane's attention was centred at once on the carefully drawn and coloured
plans, before which, with growing eagerness, their visitor began to
explain, in his usual lucid manner, so that even Aunt Hannah became
interested.

The idea was for warming purposes, and certainly, at first sight,
complicated, but they soon grasped all the details, and understood how,
by the use of a small furnace, water was to be heated, and to circulate
by the law of convection, so as to supply warmth all through public
buildings, or even in houses where people were ready to dispense with
the ruddy glow of fire.

"Yes," said the doctor, after an hour's examination of the drawings;
"that all seems to be quite right."

"But the idea is not new," said Vane.

"Exactly. You are quite right," said Deering; "it is only a new
adaptation in which I saw fortune, for it could be used in hundreds of
ways where hot-water is not applicable now. I saw large works springing
up, and an engineering business in which I hoped you, Vane, would share;
for with your brains, my boy, I foresaw that you would be invaluable to
me, and would be making a great future for yourself. There, now, you
see my plans, Lee. Do I seem so mad and reckless to you both? Have I
not gone on step by step, and was I not justified in trying to get
monetary help to carry out my preparations for what promised so clearly
to be a grand success?"

"Well, really, Deering, I can't hel