h and the police
office, and Mr. MacEwen's. O, I had my hands full," said Alexander.

"Very irregular," said the father. "You think of no one but yourself."

"I do not see that I have much to gain in bringing back my elder
brother," returned Alexander shrewdly.

The answer pleased the old man; he smiled. "Well, well, I will go into
this after breakfast," said he.

"I'm sorry about the table," said the son.

"The table is a small matter; I think nothing of that," said the father.

"It's another example," continued the son, "of the awkwardness of a man
having no money of his own. If I had a proper allowance, like other
fellows of my age, this would have been quite unnecessary."

"A proper allowance!" repeated his father, in tones of blighting
sarcasm, for the expression was not new to him. "I have never grudged
you money for any proper purpose."

"No doubt, no doubt," said Alexander, "but then you see you aren't
always on the spot to have the thing explained to you. Last night, for
instance--"

"You could have wakened me last night," interrupted his father.

"Was it not some similar affair that first got John into a mess?" asked
the son, skilfully evading the point.

But the father was not less adroit. "And pray, sir, how did you come and
go out of the house?" he asked.

"I forgot to lock the door, it seems," replied Alexander.

"I have had cause to complain of that too often," said Mr. Nicholson.
"But still I do not understand. Did you keep the servants up?"

"I propose to go into all that at length after breakfast," returned
Alexander. "There is the half-hour going; we must not keep Miss
Mackenzie waiting."

And, greatly daring, he opened the door.

Even Alexander, who, it must have been perceived, was on terms of
comparative freedom with his parent--even Alexander had never before
dared to cut short an interview in this high-handed fashion. But the
truth is, the very mass of his son's delinquencies daunted the old
gentleman. He was like the man with the cart of apples--this was beyond
him! That Alexander should have spoiled his table, taken his money,
stayed out all night, and then coolly acknowledged all, was something
undreamed of in the Nicholsonian philosophy, and transcended comment.
The return of the change, which the old gentleman still carried in his
hand, had been a feature of imposing impudence; it had dealt him a
staggering blow. Then there was the reference to John's original
flight--a s