so much to our
parents. Well, I 've paid the filial debt handsomely!" He walked up and
down the room a few moments, with the purpose of his visit evidently
still undischarged. "There 's one thing more I want to say," he
presently resumed. "I feel as if I ought to tell you!" He stopped before
Rowland with his head high and his brilliant glance unclouded. "Your
invention is a failure!"

"My invention?" Rowland repeated.

"Bringing out my mother and Mary."

"A failure?"

"It 's no use! They don't help me."

Rowland had fancied that Roderick had no more surprises for him; but he
was now staring at him, wide-eyed.

"They bore me!" Roderick went on.

"Oh, oh!" cried Rowland.

"Listen, listen!" said Roderick with perfect gentleness. "I am not
complaining of them; I am simply stating a fact. I am very sorry for
them; I am greatly disappointed."

"Have you given them a fair trial?"

"Should n't you say so? It seems to me I have behaved beautifully."

"You have done very well; I have been building great hopes on it."

"I have done too well, then. After the first forty-eight hours my own
hopes collapsed. But I determined to fight it out; to stand within the
temple; to let the spirit of the Lord descend! Do you want to know the
result? Another week of it, and I shall begin to hate them. I shall want
to poison them."

"Miserable boy!" cried Rowland. "They are the loveliest of women!"

"Very likely! But they mean no more to me than a Bible text to an
atheist!"

"I utterly fail," said Rowland, in a moment, "to understand your
relation to Miss Garland."

Roderick shrugged his shoulders and let his hands drop at his sides.
"She adores me! That 's my relation." And he smiled strangely.

"Have you broken your engagement?"

"Broken it? You can't break a ray of moonshine."

"Have you absolutely no affection for her?"

Roderick placed his hand on his heart and held it there a moment.
"Dead--dead--dead!" he said at last.

"I wonder," Rowland asked presently, "if you begin to comprehend the
beauty of Miss Garland's character. She is a person of the highest
merit."

"Evidently--or I would not have cared for her!"

"Has that no charm for you now?"

"Oh, don't force a fellow to say rude things!"

"Well, I can only say that you don't know what you are giving up."

Roderick gave a quickened glance. "Do you know, so well?"

"I admire her immeasurably."

Roderick smiled, we may almost say sympathetically. "You ha