Bates brought a great log and rolled it upon exactly

the right spot on the andirons, and a great constellation

of sparks thronged up the chimney. The old relic of a

house-I called the establishment by many names, but

this was, I think, my favorite-could be heated in all

its habitable parts, as Bates had demonstrated. The

halls were of glacial temperature these cold days, but

my room above, the dining-room and the great library

were comfortable enough. I threw down a book and

knocked the ashes from my pipe.

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"Bates!"

"Yes, sir."

"I think my spiritual welfare is in jeopardy. I need

counsel,-a spiritual adviser."

"I'm afraid that's beyond me, sir."

"I'd like to invite Mr. Stoddard to dinner so I may

discuss my soul's health with him at leisure."

"Certainly, Mr. Glenarm."

"But it occurs to me that probably the terms of Mr.

Glenarm's will point to my complete sequestration here.

In other words, I may forfeit my rights by asking a

guest to dinner."

He pondered the matter for a moment, then replied: "I should think, sir,-as you ask my opinion,-that

in the case of a gentleman in holy orders there would

be no impropriety. Mr. Stoddard is a fine gentleman;

I heard your late grandfather speak of him very

highly."

"That, I imagine, is hardly conclusive in the matter.

There is the executor-"

"To be sure; I hadn't considered him."

"Well, you'd better consider him. He's the court of

last resort, isn't he?"

"Well, of course, that's one way of looking at it,

sir.

"I suppose there's no chance of Mr. Pickering's dropping

in on us now and then."

He gazed at me steadily, unblinkingly and with entire

respect.

"He's a good deal of a traveler, Mr. Pickering is. He

passed through only this morning, so the mail-boy told

me. You may have met him at the station."

"Oh, yes; to be sure; so I did I" I replied. I was not

as good a liar as Bates; and there was nothing to be

gained by denying that I had met the executor in the

village. "I had a very pleasant talk with him. He was

on the way to California with several friends."

"That is quite his way, I understand,-private cars

and long journeys about the country. A very successful

man is Mr. Pickering. Your grandfather had great

confidence in him, did Mr. Glenarm."

"Ah, yes! A fine judge of character my grandfather

was! I guess John Marshall Glenarm could spot a rascal

about as far as any man in his day."

I felt like letting myself go before this masked scoundrel.

The density of his mask was an increasing wonder

to me. Bates was the most incomprehensible human

being I had ever known. I had been torn with a

thousand conflicting emotions since I overheard him discussing

the state of affairs at Glenarm House with

Pickering in the chapel porch; and Pickering's acquaintance

with the girl in gray brought new elements

into the affair that added to my uneasiness. But here

was a treasonable dog on whom the stress of conspiracy

had no outward effect whatever.




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