to choose my own time."

"Oh! Please, don't let me interfere--only I should scarcely have
thought that this was quite the moment when Harry would be most
inclined to listen to you."

"If we don't ask him now," she answered, "there's no knowing when we
shall have the opportunity. When poor father is gone he will have a
great deal to settle and decide; he will have no time for anything at
all for months ahead. This morning is our last chance."

But she had another thought. Her great desire now was that he should
try and fail; that he would fail she was sure. She was eagerly
impatient for that day when he must come to them and admit his failure.
She looked ahead and fashioned that scene for herself--that scene when
Robin should know and confess that his father was only as the rest of
them; that their failure was his failure, their incapacity his
incapacity--and then the balance would be restored and Robin would see
as he had seen before.

"Coffee, Robin? It's quite hot still. I saw Dr. Brady just now. He
says that there is no change, nor is there likely to be one for some
hours. You're looking tired, Robin, old boy. Have you been sleeping
on the floor, too?"

"No!" He looked up and smiled. "But I was awake a good bit. The
house is different somehow, when----"

"Oh yes, I know. One feels it, of course. But eating's much the best
thing for keeping one's spirits up. I suppose Harry is coming down.
Just find out from Benham, will you, Wilder, whether Mr. Henry is
coming down?"

The footman left the room, returning in a moment with the answer that
Mr. Henry was about to come down.

Garrett moved to the door, but Clare stopped him.

"I want you, Garrett--you can bear me out!"

"I thought that my opinion was of so little importance," he answered
sulkily, "that I might as well go."

But he sat down again and buried himself in his paper.

They waited, and Robin made mental comparisons with a similar scene a
week before; there were still the silver teapot, the toast, the
ham--they were all there, and it was only he himself who had altered.
Only a week, and what a difference! What a cad he had been! a howling
cad! Not only to his father, but to Dahlia, to every one with whom he
had had to do. He did not spare himself; he had at least the pluck to
go through with it--_that_ was Trojan.

At Harry's entrance there was an involuntary raising of eyebrows to
see, if possible, how _he_ took it; _it_ being