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Show 1 1 1 1 1 1 : t ? CHA CHAPTER R I1 I IT I1 f T -1- 1 - 1y 1y - y tat sat facing faclDg each other scpa sepa scpaby sepaLby sepaJby Lby by thirty seven y } ) ears two ut- ut utdl1Ierent utdlfferent ut-dlflerent ut dlflerent - - - , ? dl1Ierent dlfferent temperaments and'et andZet and andet 'et et Zet ' et of priceless wine wme colored coloredIra coloredira coloredira Ira that covered the old daven'James davenfames daven 'James James fames ' ' I James Lambert , , , who found It ItlIt itlit itlit lIt to relax when he mtended intended mtendedlunrelentJng intendedunrelenting intendedi unrelenting sat stiffly stlffiy arms armsat arms1 lunrelentJng , at his end of the six feet 1 yi a ina .t t at . t hers bers was curled up in'anner In Sinner her head headIts headIts headtts anner 'anner . ' , of a little httle girl Its Its aureole tlureole of pile pale gold hair hairg hairupon hairP'g hairfc g upon a velvet velvet'cushion velvetcushion .cushlon-one .cushlonone .cushlon cushlon one ' . cushion-one cushion one cushiononesilver - one6 P'g Pg rslIver silver slIver clad toot foot danglingt danglmg.t dangling6t danglmg dangling r ' .t t 6t ( . the gorgeous color of the theJokbara theiokhara thelokhara Jokbara iokhara . like .ke ke some barbaric barbaricfrom barbaricfrom barbaricfrom from the Orientugh Orientugh Orient Orientugh ugh a log blazed cheerily on onearth onearth onearth earth the atmosphere of thewas thewas the thewas was tense with d sapproval sapproval- sapprovali sapprovals sapprovalLambert - s . i Lambert s disapproval Said SaidJI'a Saidira Saidira JI'a JIa ira ' resuming a discussion } dinner dmner had mterrupted interrupted interruptedit mterruptedIt It that s no reason Dad No Noil Noo Non il o : at all alli i reason ' James paused pre prebly prebly proMy bly to clear his throat throa t but in in.y iny iny .y y . to curb his temper Past Pastfence Pasthence Pastience fence hence had taught h m that It ItuI11e it4itile itutile uI11e 4itile to rage at th s bewilder bewilderoster bewilderoster bewilderoster oster daughter She merely merelyed merelyed merelyed ed at you He wondered the theound theound theound ound aching tor for a moment If ifalian ifalian ll1an alian < baritone who had lured luredde luredife luredife de ife away from him possessed possessedua1 possessedtual possessedtual \ua1 ua1 tual \ ty The g rl s mother had hadqUick hadquick hadquick qUick to anger but Leonoraj Leonoray Leonora y wouldn t get mad no matter matterthe matterthe matterthe the provocation She laughed laughedbat laughedbat laughedbat bat m made 1de a man feel fool1sh- fool1sh foolish- foolish fool1shped foolishtned foolish foolishTied - -ped ped tned - Tied his d gnity gmty and digmty dignity dignitys s sometimes thought with b t ts ts ts s " was "as as all he had unless one oneed oneed oneed ed a fat bank balance HIs HIsof Hisof Hisof of humor that Nora loved buttoo buttoo but buttoo too often raised its head in Inicerting inicerting certmg icerting moments he refused refusednsider refusednsider jslder nsider ! , an asset But d gmty gnity gmtysomethmg gnitysomething gnitytomethmg somethmg something one shouldn t trifle trifleto trifleIo triflefo to Io he endeavored to be reason reasonrless reasonI " < iless lless rless a house is founded upon uponk uponk uponJc k my child it will .111 111 . not sur stir stirit surr Ir it ) r will one that isn t founded foundedlove foundedlove foundedlove love retorted Leonora You Youheat Youbeat Youbeat heat beat that Dadmy Dadmy Dad Dadmy my case he replied repl1ed coldlyadtd coldly coldlydid adtd < did dld not pro\ pro pro\e pro e proe prose \ e a firm 1rm ! $ rm foundaI tounda founda toundaAnd I ! . , And added not wishing wlshmg to toe toe toe e the subject of his own marl marliastrophe maritastrophe iastrophe > , a strophe Be sensible Nora Noraboy Noraboy Noraboy boy boy will never in the world worldde worldde worldde de for ) iou you ou He threw an ap apII1g aptag aping II1g tag glance at the silver shpj slipJust slip shp j ( Just lace face the facts honestly honestlyear honestlyear honestlyear ear He is twent twenty ) seven By Bywn Bywn Bywn wn unabashed confession he hei6d hejed i6d ed college after a few months monthsly monthsly Y ly bec because 1use it borel borell bored ( him and andhas andhas andhas ( has he accompi accompl shed smce since smce'P sinceYn sinceIn 'P P ' 'Pthe Yn the years that should havebun have havehim shim haveshim , him bun a start in m ILee life life9 ? ' Nothmg Nothing Nothmgutely Nothingu Nothingutely utely u tely noth ng Can you denynaddenmg denymaddening deny denynaddenmg l denyl naddenmg maddening smile curved Leor Leoadorable Leoadorable Leo adorable mouth mouthat mouthat mouthlat r at depends on what you cona cona con | a start in m life We Dad He s got " berfectly ! ' gotftierlectly , erfectly corking memoriesmories memories .fmorlesi fmorlesi memories.fmorlesi . , imonesi mories ! James was obhgedr obligedr obhged obliged r his throat again agam then saidarcasm saidarcasra said arcasm arcasra You U 11 it find I fear fearen fearen tearyen en the most delightful dehghtful mem memon memon memron on t pay the butcherI butchera butcher a thousand dollars added added1 addedI I naively It s m the Farm Farmd Farmid d Mechanics Bank downsense down downrv4 'ense ense sense " " ' rv4 rv4lense lense of humor popped up uped uped upnned ed at James 1118 His Hi * mouth moutha a little even as he contendi contendit contend it indeed9 indeed ? ' An appropriate appropriateor or the savings ofa of o1 a- a aa a -a a - - a vagabrought vaga vagabrought ( brought a laugh from Leo Leoa | a . delightful laugh which whichned whichned whichned ned the whole roometimes roometimes room roomLetlmes Letlmes etimes Dad she told him hime himre e limply sunply simply priceless It s an anhow anhow ani how so bright a man as you youso you10 10 so dense But the truth is isrned isreed isrned rned reed tome some of that thousand thousandanch thousandinch thousandanch anch inch In California Cal1ornia ! That sfor sfor s ! tor for you And down at Santa Santaworked Santaworked Santaworked ar worked three months at a adriving adriving r drvmg driving ! tourists Ifany It If any that ought to be beve beye bei ve ye no idea the amount of ofhe ofhe ofhe he picked up along the way wayouth wayouth waySouth outh Afnca- Afnca Africa- Africa AfncaLambert AfricaLambert Africa - ! i Lambert s hand went up [ forbiddmg forbidding uplorbiddmg upforbiddmg upforbidding popularffic popularfflc gesture popular popularifflc ffic fflc officers officersit officerst it t go allover all over South Africa Africabeg Africabeg Africal ) beg of you . . All this ihis re reile Ie le reIe rele young man did there was wasto wasto wasnto to a diamond rush that net netnothing netnothing netan nothing That is heat heat he heat at her tternlv sternly nothing nothmg but butes butes butes es Now look here Nora Norae Noralie e quibbi qwbhl quibbl ng You re bOOdt blindt blind bOOd blindit it t present by all the fellow s . , but you re young and im 1m 1mable imable imable himI able You can forget himyou himyou him I you abroad again it If thatI that ? I U 11 even go with you YOI ] my myough myough mypugh ough I loathe travel . NedInterrupted Ned ! interrupted Nora as a8 one onened onened onened ned polyour So Ned has been poi poiour poiour , our mind mmd ? I might haveoke have haveoke ? oke evenly coldly yet hot hoted hoted hot'ed hoted ' ed her face and lomething someUung something someUungfoster somethingfoster ' toiler foster father that the she was wasger wasger wastnger ger than ihan he had bad ever leen seen seenat t leent seent he was angry himself as , ted asted Ina in a voice like Ice Isa la Is a it anything deplorable for a man to tobe tobe be Interested in the " welfare "elfare elfare of his hisown hisown hisown own sister ? ' ' I m only his half sister the girl girlcorrected girlcorrected girlcorrected corrected and there are tunes times tunesenough timesenough timesenough enough when he wishes I wasn fc t . t . Oh OhI OhI OhI I know what a good egg Ned Is-In Is In IsInhIS isInhis is - inhis hIS own way but he hasn t a spark sparkof sparkof sparkof of Imagmatlon imagination imagination He never sees the theother theother theother other fellow s side He s content to toeat toeat toeat eat breakfast at precisely the same sameI sametime sametime sametime I time each morning mornmg and to know knowwhere knowwhere .here here where . he 11 be every hour of the thetVlenty thetwenty thetwenty tVlenty twenty four He 8 s * perfectly satls sates satlsfled satesfled satisCed fled with Corinne Cormne and her beautl beauti beautlfully beautifully beautifully fully kept house whJch which wh ch changes With Withevery withevery withevery every changing changmg style so you } ) ou can cant cantfind cantfind t tfind find your way around if you happen happennot happennot happennot not to go there tor for a month Corinne Corinnenever Corinnenever Cormnenever never dops does anything anythmg that ! isn sn t tdone tdone tdone done you know but she makes makeshim makeshim makeshim him comfortable comfortab1e and that s all Ned Nedasks Nedasks Nedasks asks of hfe-comfort hfe comfort life-comfort life life - - comfort , , plus an m in mcreasmg increasing increasing creasmg creasing bank balai balal ce He s a su superb superb superb perb example of the ihe successful successfulwhite successfulwhite successfulwhite white collared American Amencan busmcss business busmcssman businessman businessman man I1ke- I1ke like- like I1keNora likeNora like - Nora paused suddenly Inarhcu inarticu Inarhculate inarticulate inarticulate late and James finished her sen senNora , , y 47 _ _ \ r + " 'f f ' a rJ.S rJS . T Fr (1 1 ( 1 1S S = Nora paused suddenly suddenlyInarticulate suddenlyinarticulate suddenlyInarticulate suddenlyInarticulatetence Inarticulate inarticulatetense tence tense with a question Like his hisfa hisfather hisfather9 hisfather9You fa father ther ? ' You re not his father began beganI beganthe beganthe I the girl then stopped tearing fearmg fearing to tohurt tohurt tohurt hurt him I-I I I - I mean- mean meanI mean - I ve ye been Ned s father longer longerI longerthan longerthan longerthan I than I ve ye been yours Nora he re rem rem . m nded her with unaccustomed gen gentleness gentleness genUeness tleness The boy was less than thantwo thantwo thantwo two sears i ) ears old when I married marned h s smother smother smother mother and he s been compensa compensatIon compensation compensation I tIon as far as such a thing is pOSSI posse pOSSII pOSSIble possehe possible I ble he for all the trouble that came camelater camelater came'later camelater came'laterMeaning ' later laterMeanmgme laterMeaningme Meanmg-me Meanmg me Meaning-me Meaning Meaning - me9 me9She ? ' She shouldn t have said just that thatof thatof thatof of course but her lip hp trembled a ahttle alittle alittle httle little and James forgave her He Heresponded Heresponded Heresponded responded instantly Don t be he a agoose agoose a-goose a goose -goose goose - - dear ' I ve ye never regarded regardedyou regardedyou regardedyou you as a trouble-not trouble not trouble - - not tor for a mmute minute mmuteA minuteA minuteA A problem perhaps because I don t talways talways talways always understand you and you youoften youoften often rub me the wrong way But I Iwant Iwant Iwant want you to be happy Nora and andsafe andsafe andsafe safe and I can t see safety tor for a awoman awoman woman or happiness either ellher unless unlessthere unlessthere unlessthere there s a certain certam stability stablhty in the man manshe manshe manshe she chooses Don Mason hasn t got gotthat gotthat gotthat that stability and I doubt it If it s pos poss s ble tor for him to acquire it now I Idon Idon Idon don t call caIl him a ne er do well wellthough wellthough wellthough though- though - thoughJames James stopped The curtains at atthe atthe atthe the door had parted and a maid an announced announced announced nounced Mr Mason Is m in the re receptlOn reception reception ceptlOn ception room Miss NoraAsk NoraAsk Nora NoraAsk Ask him to step in here please pleasereplled pleasereplied pleasereplied replled replied the girl Then to herfa her-father her father herfatherPerhaps her her- - fa father fatherPerhaps ther therPerhaps Perhaps you d better tell Don how howyou howyou howyou you feel Ned and Connne Cormne Corinne made madetheir madetheir madetheir their attitude quite plain plam last eve evenmg evening evenmg nmg ning at the Country Club It hurt hurtme hurtme hurtme me frightfully That s why I blew hlew up just now If I felt feIt that Ned Nedreally Nedreally Nedreally really cared about me it would be bedliIerent bedifferent bedifferent dliIerent different but he s never cared not nothke notlike notlike hke like a real brother-not brother not brother - not as-as as as - as you youeare youcare youcare eare care Dad Sometimes I feel-Oh feel Oh feelOhhello feelOhhello feel - Obhello hello Don DonI ! ! Come in Dad wants to tosee tosee tosea see you . . . The young man paused on the thethreshold thethreshold thethreshold threshold He did not speak yet yetone yetone yetone one knew instinctively that he was wasaskmg wasasking wasasking askmg asking Is this a declaration of ofI ofwar ofwar ofwar war or a friendly frlendly counsel9 counsel ? ' It was wasperhaps wasperhaps wasperhaps I perhaps only a few seconds that he hewaited hewaited hewaited waited m 1D in the illuminating 1l1umlnating silence silenceI silencebut silencebut silencebut but facing facmg him James Lambert Lambertwas Lambertwas Lambertwas I was conscious of a pang of envy envyHere envyHere envyHere Here was Youth ' ' Youth at its best bestand bestand bestand and brightest bnghtest What arguments argumentscould argumentscould argumentscould I argumentsI could a man of sixty use be he asked askedhimself askedhimself askedhimself , himself to counteract the sense of ofhigh ofhigh ofhigh high adventure which this boy boybrought boybrought boybrought brought with him into mto the qUiet qUietroom quietroom quietroom quietroomYears room roomYears Years afterward James " was "as as tore torecall to re recaU recall caU call every detail of that scene how howas howas howas as Don stood there his hair seemed seemedto to be blown back from his fore foreI forehead forehead forehead head by a mountain mountam breeze-how breeze how breezehowtanned breezehowtanned breeze - howtanned I tanned his neck had looked above abovethe abovethe abovethe the collar-how collar how collar - how broad his shouldershow shouldershow shoulders shouldershow , -how how - how strong his lus hands And how howI howas howas howas as the girl came forward his eyes eyeswhich eyeswhich eyeswhich I which had been shrewd and oues- oues ques- ques oueshomng questioning cues-tiomng cues tiomng - - homng tioning changed softened lighted lightedas as if by magicYou magicYou magic magicYou You wish to see me sir sireJames sir9 sire sir9James ? James thought I wish I may maynever maynever maynever never see your handsome face faceagain faceagain faceagain again but he gripped the out out- outstretched outstretched outstretched - stretched hand in not unfriendly unfriendlyfashion unfriendlyfashion unfriendlyfashion fashion as he repi repl ed with cnsp crisp cnspfinal crispfinal crispfinal final ty Only to say that 1m I m tak takmg taktag taking mg tag Nora abroad for the next yearFor yearFor year yearFor For one startled moment Don . s seyes seyes seyes eyes met Leonora s - held them themWhat themWhat themWhat What he read there James never neverknew neverknew neverknew knew He said a smile curving curvmg his hisengaging hisengaging hisengaging engaging mouth Our tastes are aresimilar aresimilar aresimilarl similar ! I meant to do that very verythmg verything verything thmg thing myselfIndeed myselfIndeed myself myselfIndeed9 Indeed9 Indeed ? ' There was a world of |