e. However coldly phrased and dictatorially
spoken, it was an apology which Mr. Ffrench had offered and which had
been declined. But--he had watched Lestrange all day; he did not lift
the gauntlet.

"You are perfectly free," he conceded, "which gives you the
opportunity of being generous."

His son moved, flushing through his pallor.

"I wish you would not put it that way, sir," he objected.

"There is no other way. I have been wrong and I have no control over
you; will you come home?"

There was no other argument but that that could have succeeded, and
the three who knew Lestrange knew that could not fail.

"You want me because I am a Ffrench," David rebelled in the final
protest. "You have a substitute."

"Perhaps I want you otherwise. And we will not speak in passion; there
can be no substitute for you."

"Ffrench and Ffrench," murmured Dick coaxingly. "We can run that
factory, Lestrange!"

"There's more than steering-knuckles needing your eye on them. And you
love the place, Mr. David," said Bailey from his corner.

From one to the other David's glance went, to rest on Emily's
delicate, earnest face in its setting of yellow-bronze curls. Full and
straight her dark eyes answered his, the convent-bred Emily's answer
to his pride and old resentment and new reluctance to yield his
liberty.

"After all, you were born a Ffrench," she reminded, her soft accents
just audible. "If that is your work?"

Very slowly David turned to his father.

"I never learned to do things by halves," he said. "If you want me,
sir--"

And Ethan Ffrench understood, and first offered his hand.

Rupert was discovered asleep in a camp-chair outside the tent, a few
minutes later, when Dick went in search of him.

"The limousine's waiting," his awakener informed him. "You don't feel
bad, do you?"

The mechanician rose cautiously, wincing.

"Well, if every joint in my chassis wasn't sore, I'd feel better," he
admitted grimly. "But I'm still running. What did you kiss me awake
for, when I need my sleeps?"

"Did you suppose we could get Lestrange home without you, Jack
Rupert?"

"I ain't supposing you could. I'm ready."

The rest of the party were already in the big car, with one exception.

"Take a last look, Rupert," bade David, as he stood in the dark
paddock. "We're retired; come help me get used to it."

Rupert passed a glance over the deserted track.

"I guess my sentiment-tank has given out," he sweetly acknowled