avoid　a　public　disgrace；　and　how　a　close　friendship　had　grown
  between
  the　two　boys；　so　different　in　their　fortunes。
  〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　remember　him。　　He　was　a　promising　young　man。
  Has　he　succeeded？〃
  〃Not　exactlythat　is　not　yet。　　His　business　has　been　going
  rather　badly。
  He　has　a　wife　and　little　baby；　you　know。　　And　now　he　has　broken
  down；
  something　wrong　with　his　lungs。　　The　doctor　says　his　only　chance
  is
  a　year　or　eighteen　months　in　Colorado。　　I　wish　we　could　help
  him。〃
  〃How　much　would　it　cost？〃
  〃Three　or　four　thousand；　perhaps；　as　a　loan。〃
  〃Does　the　doctor　say　he　will　get　well？〃
  〃A　fighting　chancethe　doctor　says。〃
  The　face　of　the　older　man　changed　subtly。　　Not　a　line　was
  altered；
  but　it　seemed　to　have　a　different　substance；　as　if　it　were
  carved　out　of　some　firm；　imperishable　stuff。
  〃A　fighting　chance；〃　he　said；　〃may　do　for　a　speculation；　but　it
  is
  not　a　good　investment。　　You　owe　something　to　young　Rollins。
  Your　grateful　feeling　does　you　credit。　　But　don't　overwork　it。
  Send　him　three　or　four　hundred；　if　you　like。　　You'll　never
  hear　from　it　again；　except　in　the　letter　of　thanks。　　But　for
  Heaven's　sake
  don't　be　sentimental。　　Religion　is　not　a　matter　of　sentiment；
  it's　a　matter　of　principle。〃
  The　face　of　the　younger　man　changed　now。　　But　instead　of　becoming
  fixed　and　graven；　it　seemed　to　melt　into　life　by　the　heat　of
  an　inward　fire。　　His　nostrils　quivered　with　quick　breath；
  his　lips　were　curled。　〃Principle！〃　he　said。　　〃You　mean
  principaland
  interest　too。　　Well；　sir；　you　know　best　whether　that　is　religion
  or　not。
  But　if　it　is；　count　me　out；　please。　　Tom　saved　me　from　going　to
  the　devil；
  six　years　ago；　and　I'll　be　damned　if　I　don't　help　him　to　the　best
  of
  my　ability　now。〃
  John　Weightman　looked　at　his　son　steadily。　　〃Harold；〃　he　said　at
  last；
  〃you　know　I　dislike　violent　language；　and　it　never　has　any
  influence　with　me。　　If　I　could　honestly　approve　of　this
  proposition　of　yours；　I'd　let　you　have　the　money；　but　I　can't；
  it's　extravagant　and　useless。　　But　you　have　your　Christmas　check
  for
  a　thousand　dollars　coming　to　you　to…morrow。　　You　can　use　it　as
  you　please。
  I　never　interfere　with　your　private　affairs。〃
  〃Thank　you；〃　said　Harold。　　〃Thank　you　very　much！　　But　there's
  another
  private　affair。　　I　want　to　get　away　from　this　life；　this　town；
  this　house。
  It　stifles　me。　　You　refused　last　summer　when　I　asked　you　to　let
  me
  go　up　to　Grenfell's　Mission　on　the　Labrador。　　I　could　go　now；
  at　least　as　far　as　the　Newfoundland　Station。　　Have　you　changed
  your　mind？〃
  〃Not　at　all。　　I　think　it　is　an　exceedingly　foolish　enterprise。
  It　would　interrupt　the　career　that　I　have　marked　out　for　you。〃
  〃Well；　then；　here's　a　cheaper　proposition。　　Algy　Vanderhoof　wants
  me　to
  join　him　on　his　yacht　withwell；　with　a　little　partyto　cruise
  in
  the　West　Indies。　　Would　you　prefer　that？〃
  〃Certainly　not！　　The　Vanderhoof　set　is　wild　and　godlessI　do　not
  wish　to
  see　you　keeping　company　with　fools　who　walk　in　the　broad　and　easy
  way　that
  leads　to　perdition。〃
  〃It　is　rather　a　hard　choice；〃　said　the　young　man；　with　a　short
  laugh；
  turning　toward　the　door。　　〃According　to　you　there's　very　little
  differencea　fool's　paradise　or　a　fool's　hell！　　Well；　it's　one
  or
  the　other　for　me；　and　I'll　toss　up　for　it　to…night：　heads；　I
  lose；
  tails；　the　devil　wins。　　Anyway；　I'm　sick　of　this；　and　I'm　out　of
  it。〃
  〃Harold；〃　said　the　older　man　（and　there　was　a　slight　tremor　in
  his　voice）；
  〃don't　let　us　quarrel　on　Christmas　Eve。　　All　I　want　is　to
  persuade　you　to
  think　seriously　of　the　duties　and　responsibilities　to　which　God
  has
  called　youdon't　speak　lightly　of　heaven　and　hellremember；
  there　is
  another　life。〃
  The　young　man　came　back　and　laid　his　hand　upon　his　father's
  shoulder。
  〃Father；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　to　remember　it。　　I　try　to　believe　in
  it。
  But　somehow　or　other；　in　this　house；　it　all　seems　unreal　to　me。
  No　doubt　all　you　say　is　perfectly　right　and　wise。　　I　don't
  venture　to
  argue　against　it；　but　I　can't　feel　itthat's　all。　　If　I'm　to
  have　a　soul；
  either　to　lose　or　to　save；　I　must　really　live。　　Just　now　neither
  the
  present　nor　the　future　means　anything　to　me。　　But　surely　we　won't
  quarrel。
  I'm　very　grateful　to　you；　and　we'll　part　friends。　　Good…night；
  sir。〃
  The　father　held　out　his　hand　in　silence。　　The　heavy　portiere
  dropped　noiselessly　behind　the　son；　and　he　went　up　the　wide；
  curving　stairway　to　his　own　room。
  Meantime　John　Weightman　sat　in　his　carved　chair　in　the　Jacobean
  dining…room。　　He　felt　strangely　old　and　dull。　　The　portraits　of
  beautiful　women　by　Lawrence　and　Reynolds　and　Raeburn；　which　had
  often
  seemed　like　real　company　to　him；　looked　remote　and　uninteresting。
  He　fancied　something　cold　and　almost　unfriendly　in　their
  expression；
  as　if　they　were　staring　through　him　or　beyond　him。　　They　cared
  nothing　for
  his　principles；　his　hopes；　his　disappointments；　his　successes；
  they　belonged　to　another　world；　in　which　he　had　no　place。　　At
  this　he　felt
  a　vague　resentment；　a　sense　of　discomfort　that　he　could　not　have
  defined
  or　explained。　　He　was　used　to　being　considered；　respected；
  appreciated　at　his　full　value　in　every　region；　even　in　that　of
  his　own　dreams。
  Presently　he　rang　for　the　butler；　telling　him　to　close　the　house
  and
  not　to　sit　up；　and　walked　with　lagging　steps　into　the　long
  library；
  where　the　shaded　lamps　were　burning。　　His　eye　fell　upon　the　low
  shelves
  full　of　costly　books；　but　he　had　no　desire　to　open　them。　　Even
  the
  carefully　chosen　pictures　that　hung　above　them　seemed　to　have
  lost
  their　attraction。　　He　paused　for　a　moment　before　an　idyll　of
  Corota　dance
  of　nymphs　around　some　forgotten　altar　in　a　vaporous　gladeand
  looked　at
  it　curiously。　　There　was　something　rapturous　and　serene　about　the
  picture；
  a　breath　of　spring…time　in　the　misty　trees；　a　harmony　of　joy　in
  the　dancing　figures；　that　wakened　in　him　a　feeling　of
  half…pleasure
  and　half…envy。　　It　represented　something　that　he　had　never　known
  in　his
  calculated；　orderly　life。　　He　was　dimly　mistrustful　of　it。
  〃It　is　certainly　very　beautiful；〃　he　thought；　〃but　it　is
  distinctly　pagan；
  that　altar　is　built　to　some　heathen　god。　　It　does　not　fit　into
  the　scheme　of　a　Christian　life。　　I　doubt　whether　it　is　consistent
  with
  the　tone　of　my　house。　　I　will　sell　it　this　winter。　　It　will　bring
  three　or　four　times　what　I　paid　for　it。　　That　was　a　good
  purchase；
  a　very　good　bargain。〃
  He　dropped　into　the　revolving　chair　before　his　big　library　table。
  It　was　covered　with　pamphlets　and　reports　of　the　various
  enterprises
  in　which　he　was　interested。　　There　was　a　pile　of　newspaper
  clippings
  in　which　his　name　was　mentioned　with　praise　for　his　sustaining
  power　as
  a　pillar　of　finance；　for　his　judicious　benevolence；　for　his
  support　of
  wise　and　prudent　reform　movements；　for　his　discretion　in　making
  permanent
  public　gifts〃the　Weightman　Charities；〃　one　very　complaisant
  editor
  called　them；　as　if　they　deserved　classification　as　a　distinct
  species。
  He　turned　he　papers　over　listlessly。　　There　was　a　description　and
  a　picture　of　the　〃Weightman　Wing　of　the　Hospital　for　Cripples；〃
  of　which　he　was　president；　and　an　article　on　the　new　professor　in
  the　〃Weightman　Chair　of　Political　Jurisprudence〃　in　Jackson
  University；
  of　which　he　was　a　trustee；　and　an　illustrated　account　of　the
  opening　of
  the　〃Weightman　Grammar…School〃　at　Dulwich…on…the…Sound；　where　he
  had　his
  legal　residence　for　purposes　of　taxation。
  This　last　was　perhaps　the　most　carefully　planned　of　all　the
  Weightman　Charities。　　He　desired　to　win　the　confidence　and
  support　of
  his　rural　neighbors。　　It　had　pleased　him　much　when　the　local
  newspaper
  had　spoken　of　him　as　an　ideal　citizen　and　the　logical　candidate
  for
  the　Governorship　of　the　State；　but　upon　the　whole　it　seemed　to
  him
  wiser　to　keep　out　of　active　politics。　　It　would　be　easier　and
  better　to
  put　Harold　into　the　running；　to　have　him　sent　to　the　Legislature
  from
  the　Dulwich　district；　then　to　the　national　House；　then　to　the
  Senate。
  Why　not？　　The　Weightman　interests　were　large　enough　to　need　a
  direct
  representative　and　guardian　at　Washington。
  But　to…night　all　these　plans　came　back　to　him　with　dust　upon
  them。
  They　were　dry　and　crumbling　like　forsaken　habitations。　　The　son
  upon　whom　his　complacent　ambition　had　rested　had　turned　his　back
  upon
  the　mansion　of　his　father's　hopes。　　The　break　might　not　be　final；
  and　in　any　event　there　would　be　much　to　live　for；　the　fortunes　of
  the　family　would　be　secure。　　But　the　zest　of　it　all　would　be　gone
  if
  John　Weightman　had　to　give　up　the　assurance　of　perpetuating　his
  name
  and　his　principles　in　his　son。　　It　was　a　bitter　disappointment；