two estates was ample to keep the numerous women of
the family in comfort, and leave a surplus which should be paid to his
mother, according to his directions. This, with the southern ranch and
the San Francisco property, should yield her an income of two thousand
five hundred pounds a year. The confidential member of the firm hinted
that if his lordship found means of increasing her ladyship's income in
that land of gold and plenty it would be wise to do so, as her ladyship
knew less than nothing of economy and was even more deeply in debt than
usual.

He missed Flora's gay letter of gossip, and looked with narrowing lids
at the pile of newspapers. None had been sent him before, and he had
left not a subscription behind him; but it was evident that his mother
and Flora were under the mistaken impression that he would welcome this
greeting in his new home. They had accumulated for a month. He
recognized the type of the leading dailies, and could guess the names of
the numerous illustrated weeklies. Suddenly he took them in his arms and
walked quickly over to the stove, his eye roving in search of a
match-box. But even as he stooped he rose again, and, blushing for his
weakness, carried them back to the table, tore them open with nervous
haste. He skimmed the great pages of the dailies from start to finish,
telling himself that he must have a breath from home, news from
authoritative sources, stated in excellent English; sickened with the
knowledge that he was but searching eagerly for a word of himself;
sickening more when he found none. Then he fell upon the weeklies, his
eye glancing indifferently from the paragraphs and presentments of the
royal and the engaged, but scanning every personality. He had had one
rival and there was much of him.

Before he had finished the third his struggling pride conquered. He
gathered the heap and flung it into a corner, then caught up his hat and
struck out for the loneliest part of the ranch. He writhed in the throes
of disappointment, jealousy, disgust of self. He attempted consolation
by picturing all the other ambitious men he knew exhibiting a similar
weakness and vanity when there was no eye to see. His imagination did
not rise to marvellous feats--and what if it did not? He had never
aspired to be in the same class with other men.

The bitter tide receded only to give place to apprehension. His
temperament was mercurial, balanced by a certain languor in the earlier
stages