in his chair he sought to analyze his feelings. Those little tricks of
manner that Phil imitated so unconsciously kept recurring and he tried
to visualize the Lois of the present as she must be;--clever, impulsive
in her generosities, heedless, indifferent. In all his conjecturing
since Christmas he had experienced no longing to have her back; nothing
beyond a mild impersonal curiosity as to how time had dealt with her.

The success that had attended his labors had strengthened all the fibers
of his will; he was the master of himself, a man again. He had
demonstrated to his own surprise and satisfaction that he could devise a
plan and put it through; that he could bring an iron hand to his
dealings with men. And buoyed up by this fresh knowledge he was
impatient at the frustration of any of his plans and hopes. Lois had
shaken down the pillars of his life once; but she could not repeat that
injury. He had built himself a new argosy and found a new companion for
his voyaging. Nan should marry him; if she liked they would remove to
Indianapolis to escape gossipy tongues; but he had definitely determined
that the marriage should not be delayed. He was a free man and he meant
to exercise and enjoy his freedom. He had taken soundings where he had
gone down on that first venture and touched nowhere any trace of the
wreck; the waters of oblivion rippled listlessly over those unmarked
shoals.

He swung round with an uncomfortable sense that Phil had been watching
him as she bent forward, her elbow resting on the arm of one of the old
office chairs, her hand against her cheek. That had been one of Lois's
ways and Phil's brown eyes were very like Lois's! He did not want Phil
to attribute his long reverie to retrospective regrets or present
longings.

"Well, Phil; I've got to go to the court-house to see Judge Walters.
About that money, it's perfectly right for you to accept it; but I think
it best that your Uncle Amzi should have the care of it. It's a
considerable responsibility, however, and you must let him know that you
appreciate his doing it; and I'll speak to him about it myself. If
you're going home you can walk as far as the court-house with me."

He had spoken briskly, to emphasize his own indifference to Lois and her
money.

While Kirkwood was collecting some papers, Phil, after moving restlessly
about and glancing down at Amzi--he happened just then to be standing on
the bank steps talking to an agent of the Com