a most loving
mother."

"Certainly, she may grow in grace--let us hope that she will! And now
suppose we talk a little about that wonderful magazine shot-gun you have
so often offered to lend me. This is my chance to prove its values--the
only time in the last five years that I could spare a week from the
office."

He rose and turned with his easy, lithe grace towards the gun-rack, but
Briscoe sat still in pondering dismay. For it was obvious that Julian
Bayne had no intention of soon relaxing the tension of the situation by
the elimination of the presence of the jilted lover. Pride, indeed,
forbade his flight. His self-respect clamored for recognition. There was
no cause for humiliation in his consciousness, and he could not consent
to abase himself before the untoward and discordant facts. He did not
disguise from himself, however, that, if he might have chosen earlier, he
would have avoided the ordeal of the meeting, from which he shrank in
anticipation. Already he was poignantly conscious of the heavy draughts
it made on his composure, and he raged inwardly to note how his fingers
trembled as he stood before the rack of guns, now and again a weapon in
his hands, feigning an interest in examining the construction first of
one and then of another.

The entire place suggested a devotion to sport and whole-souled
hospitality. The vast spread of the autumnal landscape, in wonderful
clarity and depth of tint, was visible through the large, open front
doors. There was an effort to maintain in this apartment the aspect in
some sort of a lodge in the wilderness; the splendid antlers over the
mantel-piece, beneath which, in a deep stone chimney-place, a fire of
logs smouldered; the golden eagle, triumph of taxidermy, poising his
wings full-spread above the landing of the somewhat massive staircase;
the rack of weapons--rifles, shot-guns, hunting-knives; the game-bags;
the decoration of the walls, showing the mask and brush of many a fox,
and the iridescent wings of scores of wild-fowl; the rugs scattered about
made of the pelts of wolves, catamounts, and bears of the region--all
served to contribute to the sylvan effect. But the glister of the
hardwood floor, waxed and polished; the luxury of the easy chairs and
sofas; the centre-table strewn with magazines and papers, beneath a large
lamp of rare and rich ware; the delicate aroma of expensive cigars, were
of negative, if not discordant, suggestion, and bespoke the more
s