such things," he said, lighting a
fresh cigarette. "I do not know what paper he means. If you come and
talk to me again about business matters, I shall send for the doctor. It
is most unreasonable. By the by, where did you leave Mr. Weiss?"

"In the morning-room," she answered. "He wanted to go into the library,
and he wanted to see Smedley, but I told him to wait where he was till I
got down."

"I hope you will find him there," Phineas Duge said. "He can see Smedley
if he wants to, on your responsibility of course. Those boys know
nothing. Come up and tell me how he takes it."

Virginia went down to the morning-room and found it empty. She crossed
the hall, opened the door of the outer library softly, and passed with
swift silent footsteps into the smaller apartment. Mr. Weiss was
standing there before her uncle's closed desk, regarding it
contemplatively. He looked up quickly as she entered.

"Don't think I am taking a liberty, Miss Longworth," he said calmly.
"This place has been a sort of office for us, and your uncle lets us do
about as we please here. I trust you are going to unlock that desk and
give me the paper I want."

Virginia shook her head slowly.

"I am sorry," she said, "but my uncle will not discuss business matters
at all. He did not seem to remember anything about a paper, and he said
that everything must wait until his head is a little clearer. I am sorry
I disturbed him. I am afraid that the doctor will be very angry with
me."

Mr. Weiss' face, clean-shaven and lined, with his spectacled eyes and
thin, indrawn lips, was as expressionless as a face could be, but
Virginia heard him draw a quick little breath, and his very attitude
seemed to be the attitude of a man confronted with calamity.

"Miss Longworth," he said slowly, "this is very unfortunate."

"I am sorry," she answered.

"Will you sit down?" he said. "I have something to say to you."

She shook her head.

"I am afraid that I cannot stay now," she said. "I have so many things
to do, and so many notes to write."

His spectacled eyes looked right into hers.

"This," he said quietly, "is important. There are times, Miss Longworth,
when the junior in command of a great enterprise is faced with a crisis,
when he or she is forced to act upon their own responsibility. The
person who is great enough to rise to an occasion like this is the
person who wins and deserves success in life. You follow me, Miss
Longworth?"

"I suppose so