was　the　Westminster　Catechism　in　wood　and　stone；　and　Dr。　Pound　had　been
  the　human　incarnation　of　that　catechism；　the　fit　representative　of　a
  wrathful　God；　a　militant　shepherd　who　had　guarded　with　vigilance　his
  respectable　flock；　who　had　protested　vehemently　against　the　sins　of　the
  world　by　which　they　were　surrounded；　against　the　〃dogs；　and　sorcerers；
  and　whoremongers；　and　murderers　and　idolaters；　and　whosoever　loveth　and
  maketh　a　lie。〃　　How　Dr。　Pound　would　have　put　the　emphasis　of　the
  Everlasting　into　those　words！
  Against　what　was　Mr。　Randlett　protesting？
  My　glance　wandered　to　the　pews　which　held　the　committees　from　various
  organizations；　such　as　the　Chamber　of　Commerce　and　the　Bar　Association；
  which　had　come　to　do　honour　to　my　father。　　And　there；　differentiated　from
  the　others；　I　saw　the　spruce；　alert　figure　of　Theodore　Watling。　　He；　too；
  represented　a　new　type　and　a　new　note；this　time　a　forceful　note；　a
  secular　note　that　had　not　belonged　to　the　old　church；　and　seemed　likewise
  anomalistic　in　the　new。。。。
  During　the　long；　slow　journey　in　the　carriage　to　the　cemetery　my　mother
  did　not　raise　her　veil。　　It　was　not　until　she　reached　out　and　seized　my
  hand；　convulsively；　that　I　realized　she　was　still　a　part　of　my　existence。
  In　the　days　that　followed　I　became　aware　that　my　father's　death　had
  removed　a　restrictive　element；　that　I　was　free　now　to　take　without
  criticism　or　opposition　whatever　course　in　life　I　might　desire。　　It　may
  be　that　I　had　apprehended　even　then　that　his　professional　ideals　would
  not　have　coincided　with　my　own。　　Mingled　with　this　sense　of　emancipation
  was　a　curious　feeling　of　regret；　of　mourning　for　something　I　had　never
  valued；　something　fixed　and　dependable　for　which　he　had　stood；　a　rock　and
  a　refuge　of　which　I　had　never　availed　myself！。。。　　When　his　will　was
  opened　it　was　found　that　the　property　had　been　left　to　my　mother　during
  her　lifetime。　　It　was　larger　than　I　had　thought；　four　hundred　thousand
  dollars；　shrewdly　invested；　for　the　most　part；　in　city　real　estate。　　My
  father　had　been　very　secretive　as　to　money　matters；　and　my　mother　had　no
  interest　in　them。
  Three　or　four　days　later　I　received　in　the　mail　a　typewritten　letter
  signed　by　Theodore　Watling；　expressing　sympathy　for　my　bereavement；　and
  asking　me　to　drop　in　on　him；　down　town；　before　I　should　leave　the　city。
  In　contrast　to　the　somewhat　dingy　offices　where　my　father　had　practised
  in　the　Blackwood　Block；　the　quarters　of　Watling；　Fowndes　and　Ripon　on　the
  eighth　floor　of　the　new　Durrett　Building　were　modern　to　a　degree；
  finished　in　oak　and　floored　with　marble；　with　a　railed…off　space　where
  young　women　with　nimble　fingers　played　ceaselessly　on　typewriters。　　One
  of　them　informed　me　that　Mr。　Watling　was　busy；　but　on　reading　my　card
  added　that　she　would　take　it　in。　　Meanwhile；　in　company　with　two　others
  who　may　have　been　clients；　I　waited。　　This；　then；　was　what　it　meant　to　be
  a　lawyer　of　importance；　to　have；　like　a　Chesterfield；　an　ante…room　where
  clients　cooled　their　heels　and　awaited　one's　pleasure。。。
  The　young　woman　returned；　and　led　me　through　a　corridor　to　a　door　on
  which　was　painted　Mr。　Wailing。
  I　recall　him　tilted　back　in　his　chair　in　a　debonnair　manner　beside　his
  polished　desk；　the　hint　of　a　smile　on　his　lips；　and　leaning　close　to　him
  was　a　yellow；　owl…like　person　whose　eyes；　as　they　turned　to　me；　gave　the
  impression　of　having　stared　for　years　into　hard；　artificial　lights。　　Mr。
  Watling　rose　briskly。
  〃How　are　you；　Hugh？〃　he　said；　the　warmth　of　his　greeting　tempered　by　just
  the　note　of　condolence　suitable　to　my　black　clothes。　　〃I'm　glad　you　came。
  I　wanted　to　see　you　before　you　went　back　to　Cambridge。　　I　must　introduce
  you　to　Judge　Bering；　of　our　State　Supreme　Court。　　Judge；　this　is　Mr。
  Paret's　boy。〃
  The　judge　looked　me　over　with　a　certain　slow　impressiveness；　and　gave　me
  a　soft　and　fleshy　hand。
  〃Glad　to　know　you；　Mr。　Paret。　　Your　father　was　a　great　loss　to　our　bar；〃
  he　declared。
  I　detected　in　his　tone　and　manner　a　slight　reservation　that　could　not　be
  called　precisely　judicial　dignity；　it　was　as　though；　in　these　few　words；
  he　had　gone　to　the　limit　of　self…commitment　with　a　strangera　striking
  contrast　to　the　confidential　attitude　towards　Mr。　Watling　in　which　I　had
  surprised　him。
  〃Judge；〃　said　Mr。　Watling；　sitting　down　again；　〃do　you　recall　that　time
  we　all　went　up　to　Mr。　Paret's　house　and　tried　to　induce　him　to　run　for
  mayor？　　That　was　before　you　went　on　the　lower　bench。〃
  The　judge　nodded　gloomily；　caressing　his　watch　chain；　and　suddenly　rose
  to　go。
  〃That　will　be　all　right；　then？〃　Mr。　Watling　inquired　cryptically；　with　a
  smile。　　The　other　made　a　barely　perceptible　inclination　of　the　head　and
  departed。　　Mr。　Watling　looked　at　me。　　〃He's　one　of　the　best　men　we　have
  on　the　bench　to…day；〃　he　added。　　There　was　a　trace　of　apology　in　his
  tone。
  He　talked　a　while　of　my　father；　to　whom；　so　he　said；　he　had　looked　up
  ever　since　he　had　been　admitted　to　the　bar。
  〃It　would　be　a　pleasure　to　me；　Hugh；　as　well　as　a　matter　of　pride；〃　he
  said　cordially；　but　with　dignity；　〃to　have　Matthew　Paret's　son　in　my
  office。　　I　suppose　you　will　be　wishing　to　take　your　mother　somewhere　this
  summer；　but　if　you　care　to　come　here　in　the　autumn；　you　will　be　welcome。
  You　will　begin；　of　course；　as　other　young　men　begin；as　I　began。　　But　I
  am　a　believer　in　blood；　and　I'll　be　glad　to　have　you。　　Mr。　Fowndes　and
  Mr。　Ripon　feel　the　same　way。〃　　He　escorted　me　to　the　door　himself。
  Everywhere　I　went　during　that　brief　visit　home　I　was　struck　by　change；　by
  the　crumbling　and　decay　of　institutions　that　once　had　held　me　in　thrall；
  by　the　superimposition　of　a　new　order　that　as　yet　had　assumed　no　definite
  character。　　Some　of　the　old　landmarks　had　disappeared；　there　were　new　and
  aggressive　office　buildings；　new　and　aggressive　residences；　new　and
  aggressive　citizens　who　lived　in　them；　and　of　whom　my　mother　spoke　with
  gentle　deprecation。　　Even　Claremore；　that　paradise　of　my　childhood；　had
  grown　shrivelled　and　shabby；　even　tawdry；　I　thought；　when　we　went　out
  there　one　Sunday　afternoon；　all　that　once　represented　the　magic　word
  〃country〃　had　vanished。　　The　old　flat　piano；　made　in　Philadelphia　ages
  ago；　the　horsehair　chairs　and　sofa　had　been　replaced　by　a　nondescript
  furniture　of　the　sort　displayed　behind　plate…glass　windows　of　the　city's
  stores：　rocking…chairs　on　stands；　upholstered　in　clashing　colours；　their
  coiled　springs　only　half　hidden　by　tassels；　and　〃ornamental〃　electric
  fixtures；　instead　of　the　polished　coal…oil　lamps。　　Cousin　Jenny　had　grown
  white；　Willie　was　a　staid　bachelor；　Helen　an　old　maid；　while　Mary　had
  married　a　tall；　anaemic　young　man　with　glasses；　Walter　Kinley；　whom
  Cousin　Robert　had　taken　into　the　store。　　As　I　contemplated　the　Brecks　odd
  questions　suggested　themselves：　did　honesty　and　warm…heartedness
  necessarily　accompany　a　lack　of　artistic　taste？　and　was　virtue　its　own
  reward；　after　all？　　They　drew　my　mother　into　the　house；　took　off　her
  wraps；　set　her　down　in　the　most　comfortable　rocker；　and　insisted　on
  making　her　a　cup　of　tea。
  I　was　touched。　　I　loved　them　still；　and　yet　I　was　conscious　of
  reservations　concerning　them。　　They；　too；　seemed　a　little　on　the
  defensive　with　me；　and　once　in　a　while　Mary　was　caustic　in　her　remarks。
  〃I　guess　nothing　but　New　York　will　be　good　enough　for　Hugh　now。　　He'll　be
  taking　Cousin　Sarah　away　from　us。〃
  〃Not　at　all；　my　dear；〃　said　my　mother；　gently；　〃he's　going　into　Mr。
  Watling's　office　next　autumn。〃
  〃Theodore　Watling？〃　demanded　Cousin　Robert；　pausing　in　his　carving。
  〃Yes；　Robert。　　Mr。　Watling　has　been　good　enough　to　say　that　he　would　like
  to　have　Hugh。　　Is　there　anything？〃
  〃Oh；　I'm　out　of　date；　Sarah；〃　Cousin　Robert　replied；　vigorously　severing
  the　leg　of　the　turkey。　　〃These　modern　lawyers　are　too　smart　for　me。
  Watling's　no　worse　than　the　others；　I　suppose；only　he's　got　more
  ability。〃
  〃I've　never　heard　anything　against　him；〃　said　my　mother　in　a　pained
  voice。　　〃Only　the　other　day　McAlery　Willett　congratulated　me　that　Hugh
  was　going　to　be　with　him。〃
  〃You　mustn't　mind　Robert；　Sarah；〃　put　in　Cousin　Jenny；a　remark
  reminiscent　of　other　days。
  〃Dad　has　a　notion　that　his　generation　is　the　only　honest　one；〃　said
  Helen；　laughingly；　as　she　passed　a　plate。
  I　had　gained　a　sense　of　superiority；　and　I　was　quite　indifferent　to
  Cousin　Robert's　opinion　of　Mr。　Watling；　of　modern　lawyers　in　general。
  More　than　once　a　wave　of　self…congratulation　surged　through　me　that　I　had
  possessed　the　foresight　and　initiative　to　get　out　of　the　wholesale
  grocery　business　while　there　was　yet　time。　　I　looked　at　Willie；　still
  freckled；　still　literal；　still　a　plodder；　at　Walter　Kinley；　and　I　thought
  of　the　drabness　of　their　lives；　at　Cousin　Robert　himself　as　he　sat
  smoking　his　cigar　in　the　bay…window　on　that　dark　February　day；　and
  suddenly　I　pitied　him。　　The　suspicion　struck　me　that　he　had　not　prospered
  of　late；　and　this　deepened　to　a　conviction　as　he　talked。
  〃The　Republican　Party　is　going　to　the　dogs；〃　he　asserted。
  〃It　used　to　be　an　honourable　party；　but　now　it　is　no　better　than　the
  other。　　Politics　are　only　conducted；　now；　for　the　purpose　of　making
  unscrupulous　men　rich；　sir。　　For　years　I　furnished　this　city　with　good
  groc