Will you enter, gentlemen?"

Signor Ricordo and Sprague entered the house side by side.

CHAPTER XXIV

RICORDO'S REMINISCENCES

Although the spring was well advanced, a bright fire burned in the room
where Mr. John Castlemaine ushered his guests. Several easy chairs were
placed around the fire. Evidently Mr. Castlemaine used this room as a
kind of smoking lounge, although there were also evidences that it was
not used for men exclusively.

They had scarcely seated themselves, when a servant entered, bearing
cigars and a decanter containing spirits.

"You will take a little whisky, Signor Ricordo?" said Mr. Castlemaine,
turning to his guest.

"No, thank you, I never take whisky."

"You are an abstainer?"

"Yes."

There was a strange tone in his voice, but he spoke very quietly, as was
his custom.

"Ah, perhaps you are a Mohammedan," said Sprague, who accepted Mr.
Castlemaine's invitation.

"No, Mr. Sprague, I am not a Mohammedan, as you understand it. I do not
take whisky because--well, because a man who was once my friend was
ruined through it."

At that moment Olive entered the room, and took a chair close by her
father's. She had heard Ricordo's answer to Sprague.

"That's scarcely a reason for refusing a harmless beverage," said
Sprague.

"Harmless?" said Ricordo; "well, that is surely a matter of opinion."

"One would have to give up everything in life, on that principle of
argument," urged Sprague.

"I do not wish to argue," said Ricordo, "but I will put a case to Mr.
Castlemaine. Suppose he had a friend for whom he cared greatly, or for
whom some one dear to him cared greatly, and that friend were ruined
through alcohol; suppose he ceased to be a man and became a fiend
through it, would he offer whisky to his guests?"

Signor Ricordo put the question to his host; but he kept his eyes on
Olive, who started as if she had been stung, and then became as pale as
death.

John Castlemaine laughed uneasily.

"You are almost as strong in your hatred of alcohol as my daughter,
signore," he said. "Personally, I am a very abstemious man. I have
closed nearly every public-house on the estate; but I remember my duties
as a host."

Ricordo did not reply, but Olive felt how illogical her father's
position was.

"But you smoke," went on Mr. Castlemaine, passing him a box of cigars.
"I don't think these are bad."

"I am sure they are excellent," said Ricordo, "but I am obliged to smoke
only