mply too weary to feel any
strong interest in passing events. In any case, his face scarcely
changed in expression, as he replied--

"After five weeks' visit to the Court you still keep to your original
opinion, that the chance of possessing it is not worth a little
inconvenience, or even monetary loss?"

Jack pursed his lips with an impatient dissent.

"Oh, the Court is beautiful--an ideal place in every respect. I would
go through a good deal to earn it--in a straightforward fashion. What I
object to is the mystery, and the idleness, and the feeling of
competition. You have every right to manage your own affairs in your
own way, sir, but you must allow me the same privilege. You must have
found out by this time that I have a large amount of obstinacy in my
composition. I have made up my mind that for every reason it is my duty
to return to town."

"You have calculated, of course, that even if your business succeeds to
an extraordinary extent, you are never likely to make anything like as
much money as will come to my heir?"

"I have always heard that you are enormously wealthy. You are probably
quite right; but,"--Jack paused in front of the lounge-chair and looked
down at the shrunken figure from the height of six-foot-one,--"looking
back on your own life, sir, has your greatest happiness come from the
amount of your possessions? Has it increased as they increased? Can
you honestly advise me as a young man to sacrifice everything for
money?"

There was silence for several minutes, while Mr Farrell winced and
shrank within himself, as if the words had touched a hidden sore. He
never referred to his own domestic life; but it was well-known that for
years it had been one of ideal happiness, and that with the loss of wife
and son, his real life had closed for ever. He avoided a direct reply
to Jack's question by asking another in return.

"There are other things which many men consider more important. I have
sometimes imagined that you would agree with them. Have you reflected
that in returning to town you may be leaving behind even more than land
or fortune, and thereby losing a dearer chance of happiness!"

The blood rushed into Jack's face. He could not affect to misunderstand
the drift of the old man's words, but to acknowledge their truth was
impossible, and the orthodox protests seemed to come of their own
accord.

"What do you mean? What am I leaving? I hardly understand..."

Mr Farrel