osition to put you very near the basement,
providing you wish to come in with us unhampered." The voice halted
meaningly. "That's all I'm at liberty to say now, until you are really in
and prove unmistakably--I'll have several things more to tell you then."

"Don't misunderstand me, Darley," he said slowly, "or take offence,
please; but--but, to scrape off the veneer, you don't trust me very far
even yet, do you?"

There was a moment of silence, time for second thought.

"I can't misunderstand what you mean," said Roberts; "but unfortunately
there are others besides yourself for me to consider." The voice was
patient, unnaturally so. "I've already talked more than I should."

"If I accepted," unobservant, Armstrong's mind was running on in its own
channel, "the place you mean would take my entire time. In a way it
would be like Graham's offer. I'd be compelled--you catch the idea, don't
you?"

"Yes." This time the other did not amplify.

"You know why I refused that proposition before. We beat the brush pretty
thoroughly at that time." It was declination involved, but declination
nevertheless unmistakable. "It's a rocky road I'm on, and with occasional
mudholes such as--well--such as I fell into to-night; but somehow I can't
leave it. I won't try to defend it this time. I'm not in the mood. But
when it comes to breaking free, taking a new trail--I simply can't do it,
can't!"

"Very well." The voice was non-committal. Waiting, Armstrong thought
there would be more to follow, a comment at least; but there was none.
Roberts merely leaned back more comfortably in his place, remained so for
a minute while like smoke the former subject faded from the horizon.
Armstrong grew conscious that he was being observed intently.

"By the way," introduced Roberts, abruptly, "I've decided to give up my
residence here in the suburbs. They're remodelling the office building
I'm in, you know: adding another floor, an elevator, and one thing and
another. I've rented a suite in the addition, to be fitted out after
some ideas of my own. They'll begin on it inside a week."

For a moment Armstrong said nothing.

"I'm not particularly surprised," he commented at last, "that is, not
surprised that you're going to quit me. It was merely a question of time
until this place we're living in here got too small for you. When will
you go?"

"The lease gives them a month to deliver."

"A month. All right." There was frost forming in the ton