hieve the most, not in the
gathering of money, but in the uplifting of mankind. My daughter, you
don't appear to be eating anything. I hope that you have not permitted
the timely, though unexpected, visit of Mr. Hawes to affect your
appetite. Chydister, another piece of this mutton? Most nutritious, I
assure you; a fact, however, which is, no doubt, well known to you. Mr.
Hawes, I should think that you would prefer to sleep here at night,
rather than to stay alone in that old house. You are more than welcome
to a room here, sir. And I should like to hear anecdotes of your
grandfather, the Captain."

"I shall be in the country but a part of the time during the week, and
my coming and going will be irregular. But for this I should gladly
accept your generous offer. As to my grandfather, I must admit that I
know but little regarding his life."

"A sad error in your bringing up, sir. In that one particular we
Americans are shamefully at fault. A buncombe democracy has insisted
that it is not essential to look back, but simply to place stress upon
our present force and consequence. That is a self-depreciation, a
half-slander of one's self. Of course, it is not just to despise a man
who has no ancestry, but it is a crime not to honor him if he has a
worthy lineage."

And thus he talked until the rest of us sat back from the table, and
then, gripping his cane and getting up, he said that he would like to
talk to me privately in the library. Upon entering the room he filled a
clay pipe, handed it to me, gave me a lighted match, filled a pipe for
himself, and then lay down upon an old horse-hair sofa. I placed a
cushion for his foot and he raised up and bowed to me. "I thank you,
sir," he said. "I don't believe that Chyd would have thought of that. I
believe that he will make of himself one of the finest of physicians,
but a man may be a successful doctor and yet a thoughtless and an
indifferent companion. You will please put the right construction upon
what may appear as an over-frankness on my part, for the fact is I have
never regarded you as a stranger; and I feel that what I say to you
will go no further."

He was silent and I nodded to him, waiting for him to continue. He moved
his shoulders as if to work himself into an easier position, and then he
resumed his talk. "Of my own volition I would not have gone over to
Jucklin's house to break that engagement--I would have waited--but my
son told me to go, and after I ha