"You mean--" he began.

"Exactly."

"But, Paul--"

"There is no need to discuss it. For me, it is mostly
selfishness."

But he wanted to talk, and I humored him. For two hours we sat,
running the scale from business to sentiment, and I must confess
that I was more than once surprised by a flash from Harry.
Clearly he was developing, and for the first time I indulged a
hope that he might prove himself fit for self-government.

At least I had given him the rope; it remained for time to
discover whether or not he would avoid getting tangled up in it.
When we had finished we understood each other better, I think,
than we ever had before; and we parted with the best of feeling.

Three days later I sailed for Europe, leaving Harry in New York.
It was my first trip across in eighteen months, and I aimed at
pleasure. I spent a week in London and Munich, then, disgusted
with the actions of some of my fellow countrymen with whom I had
the misfortune to be acquainted, I turned my face south for
Madrid.

There I had a friend.

A woman not beautiful, but eminently satisfying; not loose, but