t for duty and honour's sake, and so fought his father
before him."

"Men have always fought really for the same reasons--for self-protection
and gain; but perhaps they have not seen quite so clearly as now the
truth behind all their big words. The world and mankind haven't altered
suddenly in the last few years."

* * *

Afterwards, when Colonel Parsons and his wife were alone together, and
she saw that he was brooding over his son's words, she laid her hand on
his shoulder, and said:

"Don't worry, Richmond; it'll come right in the end, if we trust and
pray."

"I don't know what to make of him," he returned, sadly shaking his head.
"It's not our boy, Frances; he couldn't be callous and unscrupulous,
and--dishonourable. God forgive me for saying it!"

"Don't be hard on him, Richmond. I daresay he doesn't mean all he says.
And remember that he's been very ill. He's not himself yet."

The Colonel sighed bitterly.

"When we looked forward so anxiously to his return, we didn't know that
he would be like this."

James had gone out. He wandered along the silent roads, taking in large
breaths of the fresh air, for his home affected him like a hot-house.
The atmosphere was close and heavy, so that he could neither think
freely nor see things in any reasonable light. He felt sometimes as
though a weight were placed upon his head, that pressed him down, and
pressed him down till he seemed almost forced to his knees.

He blamed himself for his lack of moderation. Why, remembering ever his
father's unhappiness and his infirmities, could he not humour him? He
was an old man, weak and frail; it should not have been so difficult to
use restraint towards him. James knew he had left them in Primpton House
distressed and angry; but the only way to please them was to surrender
his whole personality, giving up to their bidding all his thoughts and
all his actions. They wished to exercise over him the most intolerable
of all tyrannies, the tyranny of love. It was a heavy return they
demanded for their affection if he must abandon his freedom, body and
soul; he earnestly wished to make them happy, but that was too hard a
price to pay. And then, with sudden rage, James asked himself why they
should be so self-sufficiently certain that they were right. What an
outrageous assumption it was that age must be infallible! Their idea of
filial duty was that he should accept their authority, not because they
were wise, but because they