e, as though
the words she spoke bore no intended sting and innocence alone had
prompted her to speak her mind thus freely. But the timed shaft had its
desired effect, for Cyril turned quickly upon his mother with darkening
brows.

"So silly of you, Mater, not wanting me to learn all about that ripping
electricity. And Ross knows such a lot, too, and I love to sit and watch
him. And he lets me help sometimes--don't you, Ross?"

"Yes, old chap."

"Well, then, I can't see what all the fuss is about, Mater. I really
can't. Why, that light in my room's ripping for reading at night,
instead of the fuggy old lamp we used to have there, and----"

An agonized look from Maud Duggan sent his brave words trailing off into
nothingness. But already the mischief was done. The black cloud had
settled upon Sir Andrew's face, and the sluggish blood was clotting in
temple veins and cheeks, telling of the anger within. The pin-point eyes
under their beetling brows were more steel-like than ever. He rose to
his feet suddenly, and brought one shaking fist down upon the table-top
with a force that sent the glasses jangling and the table silver
rattling to the tune of it.

"Have done!" he thundered furiously, trembling in a rage that had become
an old man's obsession, and which responded to the constant playing upon
it like a deep-throated viola in the hands of a musician who understood
it; "have done with all this extravagant nonsense! Haven't I threatened
Ross enough as it is, to take his time-wasting, money-eating experiments
out of my house?--and now he not only disobeys my spoken word, but
actually causes the illness of my youngest son himself. Pale?--of course
the boy is pale! Hanging about indoors in a stuffy room, watching his
father's money poured out like water to tickle the fancy of a fool who
is old enough to know better! I'll have none of him--none of him! He may
sing for his bread and butter in future!--go out into the streets and
beg for it, as better beggers than he have done! But he'll leave the
house--he----"

"Father!"

It was Maud Duggan who spoke, rising quickly and hurrying round to him,
to put an arm about his shaking shoulders. "We have a guest--a
stranger----"

"This is no time for guests or strangers! The moment has come, and I'll
have done with it once and for all!" he thundered back at her, with an
old man's persistence, and the single-mindedness of the ill and aged.
"Mr. Deland will pardon what must see