"Then you have a talent for the inopportune amounting to positive
genius," said Father Forbes, with a stormy smile.

"Tell me this, Father Forbes," the other demanded, with impulsive
suddenness, "is it true that you don't want me in your house again? Is
that the truth or not?"

"The truth is always relative, Mr. Ware," replied the priest, turning
away, and closing the door of the parlor behind him with a decisive
sound.

Left alone, Theron started to make his way downstairs. He found his
legs wavering under him and making zigzag movements of their own in a
bewildering fashion. He referred this at first, in an outburst of fresh
despair, to the effects of his great grief. Then, as he held tight to
the banister and governed his descent step by step, it occurred to him
that it must be the wine he had had for breakfast. Upon examination, he
was not so unhappy, after all.



CHAPTER XXXI


At the second peal of the door-bell, Brother Soulsby sat up in bed.
It was still pitch-dark, and the memory of the first ringing fluttered
musically in his awakening consciousness as a part of some dream he had
been having.

"Who the deuce can that be?" he mused aloud, in querulous resentment at