oung man sat there as though he were lord of everything,--so
Tappitt declared to himself; and his own wife was snubbed in her own
parlour as soon as she opened her mouth. There was an uncomfortable
atmosphere of discord in the room, which gradually pervaded them all,
and made even the girls feel that things were going wrong.

Mrs. Tappitt rose from her chair, and made a stiff bow across the
table to her guest, understanding that that was the proper way in
which to effect a retreat into the drawing-room; whereupon Luke
opened the door, and the ladies went. "Thank you, sir," said Mrs.
Tappitt very solemnly as she passed by him. Mrs. Rowan, going first,
had given him a loving little nod of recognition, and Mary had
pinched his arm. Martha uttered a word of thanks, intended for
conciliation; Augusta passed him in silence with her nose in the air;
and Cherry, as she went by, turned upon him a look of dismay. He
returned Cherry's look with a shake of his head, and both of them
understood that things were going wrong.

"I don't think I'll take any more wine, sir," said Rowan.

"Do as you like," said Tappitt. "It's there if you choose to take
it."

"It seems to me, Mr. Tappitt, that you want to quarrel with me," said
Luke.

"You can form your own opinion about that. I'm not bound to tell my
mind to everybody."

"Oh, no; certainly not. But it's very unpleasant going on in that way
in the same house. I'm thinking particularly of Mrs. Tappitt and the
girls."

"You needn't trouble yourself about them at all. You may leave me to
take care of them."

Luke had not sat down since the ladies left the room, and now
determined that he had better not do so. "I think I'll say good
afternoon," said Rowan.

"Good day to you," said Tappitt, with his face turned away, and his
eyes fixed upon one of the open windows.

"Well, Mr. Tappitt, if I have to say good-bye to you in that way in
your own house, of course it must be for the last time. I have not
meant to offend you, and I don't think I've given you ground for
offence."

"You don't, don't you?"

"Certainly not. If, unfortunately, there must be any disagreement
between us about matters of business, I don't see why that should be
brought into private life."

"Look here, young man," said Tappitt, turning upon him. "You lectured
me in my counting-house this morning, and I don't intend that you
shall lecture me here also. I'm drinking my own wine in my own
parlour, and choose