illed with
unprepossessing volumes and large black tin boxes. A large table stood
in the middle of the room, littered with papers, with bulwarks of the
same kind of tin boxes rising at either end.

Mr. Morton himself was a square-built man of some forty years,
clean-shaven, and rather pale and stout, with strongly marked
features, a good loud voice, and the pleasant, brusque manners that
befit a University and public school man who has taken seriously to
business.

Laurie and he got on excellently together. The younger man had an
admiration for the older, whose reputation as a rather distinguished
barrister certainly deserved it, and was sufficiently in awe of him to
pay attention to his directions in all matters connected with law. But
they did not meet much on other planes. Laurie had asked the other
down to Stantons once, and had dined with him three or four times in
return. And there their acquaintance found its limitations.

This morning, however, the boy's interested air, with its hints of
suppressed excitement and his marked inattention to the books and
papers which were his business, at last caused the older man to make a
remark. It was in his best manner.

"What's the matter, eh?" he suddenly shot at him, without prelude of
any kind.

Laurie's attention came back with a jump, and he flushed a little.

"Oh!--er--nothing particular," he murmured. And he set himself down to
his books again in silence, conscious of the watchful roving eye on
the other side of the table.

About half-past twelve Mr. Morton shut his own book with a slap,
leaned back, and began to fill his pipe.

"Nothing seems very important," he said.

As the last uttered word had been spoken an hour previously, Laurie
was bewildered, and looked it.

"It won't do, Baxter," went on the other. "You haven't turned a page
an hour this morning."

Laurie smiled doubtfully, and leaned back too. Then he had a spasm of
confidence.

"Yes. I'm rather upset this morning," he said. "The fact is, last
night..."

Mr. Morton waited.

"Well?" he said. "Oh! don't tell if me you don't want to."

Laurie looked at him.

"I wonder what you'd say," he said at last.

The other got up with an abrupt movement, pushed his books together,
selected a hat, and put it on.

"I'm going to lunch," he said. "Got to be in the Courts at two;
and...."

"Oh! wait a minute," said Laurie. "I think I want to tell you."

"Well, make haste." He stood, in attitude t