chair, "I prefer to stand. Have the goodness to see
that Rose is quick."

"Thinks the chair's atheistical!" remarked Tom to himself.

Raeburn, looking a degree more stately than usual, stood on the hearth
rug with his back to the fire, not in the least forgiving his enemy, but
merely adopting for himself the most dignified role. Mr. Fane-Smith a
few paces off with his anger and ill-concealed contempt did not show
to advantage. Something in the relative sizes of the two struck the
professor as comically like Landseer's "Dignity and Impudence." He
would have smiled at the thought had he not been very angry at the
discourteous treatment his friend was receiving. Mrs. MacNaughton sat
with her queen in her hand as though meditating her next move, but in
reality absorbed in watching the game played by the living chess-men
before her. Tom at last broke the uncomfortable silence by asking the
professor about some of Erica's specimens, and at length Rose came down,
much to every one's relief, followed by Erica, who had been helping her
to collect the things.

"Are you ready?" said her father. "Then come at once."

"Let me at least say goodbye, papa," said Rose, very angry at being
forced to make this undignified and, as she rightly felt, rude exit.

"Come at once," said Mr. Fane-Smith in an inexorable voice. As he left
the room he turned and bowed stiffly.

"Go down and open the door for them, Tom," said Raeburn, who throughout
Mr. Fane-Smith's visit had maintained a stern, stately silence.

Tom, nothing loth, obeyed. Erica was already half way downstairs with
the guests, but he caught them up and managed to say goodbye to Rose,
even to whisper a hope that they might meet again, to which Rose replied
with a charming blush and smile which, Tom flattered himself, meant that
she really cared for him. Had Rose gone quietly away the next morning,
he would not have been goaded into any such folly. A cab was waiting;
but, when Rose was once inside it, her father recovered his power of
speech and turned upon Erica as they stood by the front door.

"I should have thought," he said in an angry voice, "that after our
anxiety to persuade you to leave your home, you might have known that
I should never allow Rose to enter this hell, to mix with blaspheming
atheists, to be contaminated by vile infidels!"

Erica's Highland hospitality and strong family loyalty were so outraged
by the words that to keep silent was impossible.

"You f