r boy!"

Alaric disengaged himself alertly.

"Here, half a minute, mater. Half a minute, please: One can't burn all
one's boats like that, without a cry for help."

"Think what it would mean, dear! Your family preserved, and a brand
snatched from the burning!"

"That's just it. It's all right savin' the family. Any cove'll do that
at a pinch. But I do not see myself as a 'brand-snatcher' Besides, I am
not ALTOGETHER at liberty."

"What?" cried his mother.

"Oh, I've not COMMITTED myself to anything. But I've been three times
to hear that wonderful woman speak--once on the PLATFORM! And people
are beginning to talk. She thinks no end of me. Sent me a whole lot of
stuff last week--'ADVANCED LITERATURE' she calls it. I've got 'em all
upstairs. Wrote every word of 'em herself. Never saw a woman who can
TALK and WRITE as she can. And OUTSIDE of all that I'm afraid I've more
or less ENCOURAGED her. And there you are--the whole thing in a
nutshell."

"It would unite our blood, Alaric," the fond mother insisted.

"Oh, hang our blood! I beg your pardon, mater, but really I can't make
our blood the FIRST thing."

"It would settle you for life, dear," she suggested after a pause.

"I'd certainly be settled all right," in a despairing tone.

"Think what it would mean, Alaric."

"I am, mater. I'm thinking--and thinking awfully hard. Now, just a
moment. Don't let either of us talk. Just let us think. I know how much
is at stake for the family, and YOU realise how much is at stake for
ME, don't you?"

"Indeed I do. And if I didn't think you would be happy I would not
allow it--indeed I wouldn't."

Alaric thought for a few moments.

The result of this mental activity took form and substance as follows:

"She is not half-bad-lookin'--at times--when she's properly dressed."

"I've seen her look almost beautiful!" cried Mrs. Chichester.

Alaric suddenly grew depressed.

"Shockin' temper, mater!" and he shook his head despondently.

"That would soften under the restraining hand of affection!" reasoned
his mother.

"She would have to dress her hair and drop DOGS. I will not have a dog
all over the place, and I do like tidiness in women. Especially their
hair. In that I would have to be obeyed."

"The woman who LOVES always OBEYS!" cried his mother.

"Ah! There we have it!" And Alaric sprang up and faced the old lady.
"There we have it! DOES she LOVE me?"

Mrs. Chichester looked fondly at her only son and answe