aric. She had never shown the slightest interest in anything since
she had first looked up at the man of medicine who ushered her into the
world. She regarded everything about her with the greatest complacency.
She was never surprised or angry, or pleased, or depressed. Sorrow
never seemed to affect her--nor joy make her smile. She looked on life
as a gentle brook down whose current she was perfectly content to drift
undisturbed. At least, that was the effect created in Mrs. Chichester's
mind. She never thought it possible there might be latent possibilities
in her impassive daughter.

While her mother admired Ethel's lofty attitude of indifference toward
the world--a manner that bespoke the aristocrat--she secretly chafed at
her daughter's lack of enthusiasm.

How different to Alaric--always full of nearly new ideas: always about
to do something. Alaric kept those around him on the alert--no one ever
really knew what he would do next. On the other hand, Ethel depressed
by her stolid content with everything about her. Every one knew what
she would do--or thought they did.

Mrs. Chichester had long since abandoned any further attempt to
interest her brother Nathaniel in the children.

Angela's wretched marriage had upset everything,--driven Nathaniel to
be a recluse and to close his doors on near and distant relatives.

Angela's death the following year did not relieve the situation. If
anything, it intensified it, since she left a baby that, naturally,
none of the family could possibly take the slightest notice of--nor
interest in.

It was tacitly agreed never to speak of the unfortunate incident,
especially before the children. It was such a terrible example for
Ethel, and so discouraging to the eager and ambitious Alaric.

Consequently Angela's name was never spoken inside of Regal Villa.

And so the Chichester family pursued an even course, only varied by
Alaric's sudden and DEFINITE decisions to enter either public life, or
athletics, or the army, or the world of art--it was really extremely
hard for so well-equipped a young man to decide to limit himself to any
one particular pursuit. Consequently he put off the final choice from
day to day.

Suddenly a most untoward incident happened. Alaric, returning from a
long walk, alone--during which he had ALMOST decided to become a
doctor--walked in through the windows from the garden into the
living-room and found his mother in tears, an open letter in her hand.