now it is known. Well, Oliver, there you
have it. And you happen to have us also--entirely in your hands. Because
of a spying, greedy servant--and my own stupidity and distrust--we have
been completely found out. And by one of my son's best friends.

"I wish that I could apologize for--all the scene before this. Better.
I hope that you will believe that I am trying to do so now. But I seldom
make apologies, Oliver, even when I am evidently in the wrong--and this
hasn't been one of my easiest to make. And now."

He sat back and waited, his fingers curled round his glass. And, as
he looked at him, Oliver felt a little sickish, for, on the whole, he
respected Mr. Piper a good deal more than his irreverent habit of mind
permitted him to respect most older people, and at the same time felt
pitifully sorry for him--it must be intensely humiliating to have to
explain this way--and yet the only thing Oliver could do was to take
the largest advantage possible of his very humiliation and
straightforwardness--the truth could still do nothing at all but wreck
everybody concerned.

"I give you my word of honor, Mr. Piper, to keep everything I know
entirely and completely secret," said Oliver, slowly, trying to make the
large words seem as little magniloquent as possible. "That's all I can
say, I guess--but it's true--you can really depend on it."

"Thank you," said Mr. Piper quite simply. "I believe you, Oliver," and
again Oliver felt that little burn of shame in his mind.

"Thank you," said Mrs. Severance, copying Mr. Piper finished his drink
and rose. "And now, I do not wish you to misunderstand me," he said.
"I have not come to my age without realizing that there are certain
services that cannot be paid for. But you have done me a very great
service, Oliver--a service for which I should have been glad to give
nearly everything material that I possess. I merely wish you to know
that in case you should ever need--assistance--from an older man---in
any way--that is clumsily put, but I can think of no other suitable word
at the moment--I am entirely at your disposal. Entirely so."

"Thank you, sir," said Oliver a little stiffly. Mr. Piper was certainly
heaping coals of fire. Then he wondered for an instant just what Mrs.
Ellicott would think if she could have heard the President of the
Commercial say that to him--

Mr. Piper was moving slowly toward the door, and the politeness that had
been his at the beginning of the convers