he gazed, the more he found to gaze at The roof of this
building had many gables, in the Queen Anne style; and from the midst
of them shot up the tower, which was octagonal and solid, suggestive of
the Normans. It was decorated with Christmas-wreaths in white stucco,
and a few miscellaneous ornaments like the gilded tassels one sees upon
plush curtains. Overtopping all of this was the dome of a Turkish
mosque. Rising out of the dome was something that looked like a
dove-cot; and out of this rose the slender white steeple of a Methodist
country church. On top of that was a statue of Diana.

"What are you looking at?" asked the Major.

"Nothing," said Montague, as he moved on. "Has there ever been any
insanity in the Havens family?"

"I don't know," replied the other, puzzled. "They say the old man never
could sleep at night, and used to wander about alone in the park. I
suppose he had things on his conscience."

They strolled away; and the Major's flood-gates of gossip were opened.
There was an old merchant in New York, who had been Havens's private
secretary. And Havens was always in terror of assassination, and so
whenever they travelled abroad he and the secretary exchanged places.
"The old man is big and imposing," said the Major, "and it's funny to
hear him tell how he used to receive the visitors and be stared at by
the crowds, while Havens, who was little and insignificant, would
pretend to make himself useful. And then one day a wild-looking
creature came into the Havens office, and began tearing the wrappings
off some package that shone like metal--and quick as a flash he and
Havens flung themselves down on the floor upon their faces. Then, as
nothing happened, they looked up, and saw the puzzled stranger gazing
over the railing at them. He had a patent churn, made of copper, which
he wanted Havens to market for him!"

Montague could have wished that this party might last for a week or
two, instead of only two days. He was interested in the life, and in
those who lived it; all whom he met were people prominent in the social
world, and some in the business world as well, and one could not have
asked a better chance to study them.

Montague was taking his time and feeling his way slowly. But all the
time that he was playing and gossiping he never lost from mind his real
purpose, which was to find a place for himself in the world of affairs;
and he watched for people from whose conversation he could get a vi