that our burdens have been lessened by--your having abandoned the
very strange profession which you selected, and devoted yourself to
researches which, if interesting, must be called abstract----"

"Forgive me, father," interrupted Morris with a ring of indignation
in his voice; "but you must remember that I put you to no expense. In
addition to what I inherited from my mother, which, of course, under
the circumstances I do not ask for, I have my fellowship, out of which
I contribute something towards the cost of my living and experiments,
that, by the way, I keep as low as possible."

"Of course, of course," said the Colonel, who did not wish to pursue
this branch of the subject, but his son went on:

"You know also that it was at your express wish that I came to live here
at Monksland, as for the purposes of my work it would have suited me
much better to take rooms in London or some other scientific centre."

"Really, my dear boy, you should control yourself," broke in his father.
"That is always the way with recluses; they cannot bear the slightest
criticism. Of course, as you were going to devote yourself to this line
of research it was right and proper that we should live together. Surely
you would not wish at my age that I should be deprived of the comfort of
the society of an only child, especially now that your mother has left
us?"

"Certainly not, father," answered Morris, softening, as was his fashion
at the thought of his dead mother.

Then came a pause, and he hoped that the conversation was at end; a vain