The sudden and unexpected passion of the speaker, the incomprehensible
change in his voice, and the utterly disproportionate exaggeration of
his attitude towards his daughters, enforced an instantaneous silence.
The rain began to drip audibly at the window, the rush of the river
sounded distinctly from without, even the shaking of the front part
of the dwelling by the distant gale became perceptible. An angry flash
sprang for an instant to the young assistant's eye, but it met the
cautious glance of his friend, and together both discreetly sought the
table. The two girls alone remained white and collected. "Will you go on
with my fortune, Mr. Grant?" said Phemie quietly.

A certain respect, perhaps not before observable, was suggested in the
surveyor's tone as he smilingly replied, "Certainly, I was only waiting
for you to show your confidence in me," and took up the cards.

Mr. Harkutt coughed. "It looks as if that blamed wind had blown suthin'
loose in the store," he said affectedly. "I reckon I'll go and see." He
hesitated a moment and then disappeared in the passage. Yet even here he
stood irresolute, looking at the closed door behind him, and passing his
hand over his still flushed face. Presently he slowly and abstractedly
ascended the flight of steps, entered the smaller passage that led to
the back door of the shop and opened it.

He was at first a little startled at the halo of light from the
still glowing stove, which the greater obscurity of the long room had
heightened rather than diminished. Then he passed behind the counter,
but here the box of biscuits which occupied the centre and cast a shadow
over it compelled him to grope vaguely for what he sought. Then he
stopped suddenly, the paper he had just found dropping from his fingers,