ll the domestics. By-the-way, you know his son
Bertie, I believe."

Harold smiled a little to himself as he answered: "Yes, I fished at
Catalina Island last June with the Honorable Ethelbert; he's rather a
decent chap, in spite of his ingrowing mind. But you?--mother, you are
simply magnificent! You are father's masterpiece." The young man
leaned over to kiss her, and went up to the Riding Club for his
afternoon canter in the Park.

So it came to pass, early in December, that Mrs. Weightman and her two
daughters sailed for Europe, on their serious pleasure trip, even as it
had been written in the book of Providence; and John Weightman, who had
made the entry, was left to pass the rest of the winter with his son
and heir in the brownstone mansion.

They were comfortable enough. The machinery of the massive
establishment ran as smoothly as a great electric dynamo. They were
busy enough, too. John Weightman's plans and enterprises were
complicated, though his principle of action was always simple--to get
good value for every expenditure and effort. The banking-house of
which he was the chief, the brain, the will, the absolutely controlling
hand, was so admirably organized that the details of its direction took
but little time.

But the scores of other interests that radiated from it and were
dependent upon it--or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, that
contributed to its solidity and success--the many investments,
industrial, political, benevolent, reformatory, ecclesiastical, that
had made the name of Weightman well known and potent in city, church,
and state, demanded much attention and careful steering, in order that
each might produce the desired result. There were board meetings of
corporations and hospitals, conferences in Wall Street and at Albany,
consultations and committee meetings in the brownstone mansion.

For a share in all this business and its adjuncts John Weightman had
his son in training in one of the famous law firms of the city; for he
held that banking itself is a simple affair, the only real difficulties
of finance are on its legal side. Meantime he wished the young man to
meet and know the men with whom he would have to deal when he became a
partner in the house. So a couple of dinners were given in the mansion
during December, after which the father called the son's attention to
the fact that over a hundred million dollars had sat around the board.

But on Christmas Eve fat