Floyd, in a steadfast, reassuring
tone. "I could lay down my father's charge, he gives me that privilege
if I find I cannot save the business without spending my private
fortune. If you would rather have me withdraw----"

"Oh, no! no!" cries his mother. She has felt for some time that they
were steadily going to ruin under Eugene's _regime_, but he is her idol
and she loves him with a curious pride that could deny him nothing;
would not even blame him, and wishes him to be prosperous. "I really
think you would have no right, Floyd."

"Then if I must work, if I must give my time, interest, and money, I
shall have to know how everything stands. I shall have to provide to
the best of _my_ judgment. You _must_ all trust in me, and believe that
I am acting for your welfare."

There is no affirmative to this, and Floyd feels really hurt. Eugene
sits rolling the corner of the rug under his foot with a kind of
vicious force, and is sulkily silent.

"Your father expected, Floyd----" and Mrs. Grandon buries her face in
her hands, giving way to tears.

"My dear mother, I shall do everything my father desired, if it is in
my power. Eugene," suddenly, "how does Mr. Wilmarth propose to meet
this note?"

"Don't worry about the note. You must admit that he knows more about
the business than you."

"Very well," Floyd returns, with ominous calmness. "I will pay up the
house bills to-morrow, and there will be no change until after Laura's
marriage. Let us remember that our interests are identical, that one
cannot suffer without the other. Good night."

He bends over to kiss his mother, and leaves the room. He had never
mistrusted before that his soul was unduly sensitive, his temper bad,
his patience of a poor quality. He is tempted to make a rush back to
the old, free, wandering life. But if he does, the family portion will
be ruin. He cannot be indifferent to their welfare, nor to the fact
that if events go wrongly he will be blamed.

He goes at the business promptly the next morning. With Mr. Conner's
assistance he pays Marcia's and Gertrude's portion, and reinvests it.
They can have the interest or squander the principal. He calls on
several tradesmen and takes their receipts. The note is still a matter
of perplexity, and Mr. Connery is appointed to confer with the holder
and ask him to meet Mr. Floyd Grandon. Then he settles about a strip of
land for which he has been offered a fabulous sum, it seems to him.
This will gi