t I'm coming back to practise in the city?"

"No. That so? With your father's firm?"

"Yes. Dad's made me a pretty good offer, and while it was considerable of
a sacrifice to leave the business I've built up down there, I'm willing
to humour the old man." He crossed his legs in a superior sort of way,
his head thrown back after a fashion which always made Max want to throw
something at him and disturb his pose. His tone was immensely
condescending.

"When do you make the move?"

"Right away. The governor's in a hurry, and I've agreed to lose no time.
Don't care to live with the old folks again, so I shall look round a bit
for a place. I drive a car, you know, and I've rather taken a fancy to
having a country place, something on the old-style order. I've picked up
rather a decent collection of old mahogany and prints, Sheffield plate
and Lowestoft china--that sort of thing--that needs a certain background
to show it off. I've heard of a number of places that might suit me;
there are a good many abandoned country places these days--people like to
get into town. Not many care, like me, for the artistic point of view in
such matters. Er--I suppose you'll sell this place?"

His tone was careless, but Max, who was watching him closely, saw a
peculiar gleam in his eye which put him on his guard. Neil Chase was
nothing if not shrewd and sharp to the point where the man who dealt with
him must look closely after his own interests.

"Oh, I don't know," Max replied, slowly. "Haven't made up my mind. I'm
considering an offer now for the place. Some people like to get into
town, as you say, but plenty more appreciate life in the country, when
they can get such a spot as this. Values in such property are going up,
not down, in my opinion."

If Sally could have heard him!

CHAPTER X

JACK-O'-LANTERNS

To the strains of the intermezzo from the "Cavalleria Rusticana," which
the orchestra was sending out through the open windows, Max was returning
from the gateway to the house. The October night was so mild that he had
stolen out bareheaded upon the errand which had taken him to the road.
The errand might have been considered an odd one: he wanted to look at
the house!

To be sure, illuminated as it was by many gayly coloured lights, the
lanterns glowing all across the porch and down the driveway, it was well
worth looking at. But it was not this decorative effect which the young
host had come out to exult over. And