ell, you may go." And then he spoke to Henry: "You
hated him."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he is a villain."

"But if you hated him from the first, you hated him before you found
out that he was a villain; and that was snap judgment. I try a man
before I condemn him."

"And I let a man condemn himself, and some men do this the minute I
see them."

"But a quick judgment is nearly always wrong."

"Yes, and yet it's better than a slow judgment that allows itself to
be imposed upon."

"Sometimes," Witherspoon agreed; and after a short silence he added:
"I was just thinking of how that fellow imposed on me, but I can't
quite get at the cause of my worry over him, and I don't understand
why I should have been afraid that he could ruin me. I want to ask you
something, and I want you to tell me the exact truth without fear of
giving offense: Have you ever thought that at times my mind was
unbalanced? Have you?"

"You haven't been well, and a sick man's mind is never sound, you
know."

"That's all true enough; but do I remind you very much of your uncle
Andrew?"

"Yes, when you worry."

"I thought so. I've got to stop worrying; and I believe that we have
more control over ourselves than we exercise. Come back at noon and
we'll go out together."

"I'll be here," Henry replied.

Just before he reached the office Henry met John Richmond, and
together they stepped into a cigar-store.

"I've been over to your office," said Richmond. "I have important
business with you."

"All right, John. Business with you is a pleasure."

"I think this will be. This is the last day of September, and relying
on my recollection, I know that black bass are about ready to begin
their fall campaign. So I thought we'd better get on a train early
to-morrow morning and go out into Lake County. Now don't say you are
too busy, for _I'm_ running away from a stack of work as high as my
head."

"I'll go."

"Good. We'll have a glorious day in the woods. We'll forget Brother
Brooks and the fanatic who saved his life; we'll float on the lake;
well pick up nuts; we'll listen to the controversy of the blue jays,
and the flicker, flicker of the yellowhammers; we'll study Mr.
Woodpecker, whose judgment tells him to go south, but who is held back
by the promising sunshine. The train leaves at eight. I'll be on hand,
and don't you fail."

"I won't. I'm only too anxious to get out of town."

Shortly after Henry arrived at the office Miss Dru