nearer he drew
to his old home, the less impulse he felt for exertion. He found himself
asking the question, "Why should I try to make more money when I've got
enough already?" to which the only reply was in that vague hope of
"doing a little good," inspired by his visit to the scene of his
parents' work at Hankow. In this direction, however, his aptitudes were
no more spontaneous than they were for the life of cultivated taste.
Henry Guion's need struck him, therefore, as an opportunity. If he took
other views of it besides, if it made to him an appeal totally different
from the altruistic, he was able to conceal the fact--from himself, at
any rate--in the depths of a soul where much that was vital to the man
was always held in subliminal darkness. It disturbed him, then, to have
Drusilla Fane rifle this sanctuary with irreverent persistency, dragging
to light what he had kept scrupulously hidden away.

Having found her alone in the drawing-room drinking her tea, he told her
at once what he had accomplished in the way of averting the worst phase
of the danger hanging over the master of Tory Hill. He told her, too,
with some amount of elation, which he explained as his glee in getting
himself down to "hard-pan." Drusilla allowed the explanation to pass
till she had thanked him ecstatically for what he had done.

"Really, Peter, men are fine! The minute I heard Cousin Henry's wretched
story I knew the worst couldn't come to the worst, with you here. I only
wish you could realize what it means to have a big, strong man like you
to lean on."

Davenant looked pleased; he was in the mood to be pleased with anything.
He had had so little of women's appreciation in his life that Drusilla's
enthusiasm was not only agreeable but new. He noticed, too, that in
speaking Drusilla herself was at her best. She had never been pretty.
Her mouth was too large, her cheek-bones too high, and her skin too
sallow for that; but she had the charm of frankness and intelligence.

Davenant said what was necessary in depreciation of his act, going on to
explain the benefit he would reap by being obliged to go to work again.
He enlarged on his plans for taking his old rooms and his old office,
and informed her that he knew a fellow, an old pal, who had already let
him into a good thing in the way of a copper-mine in the region of Lake
Superior. Drusilla listened with interest till she found an opportunity
to say:

"I'm so glad that _is_ your r