you not, love? You remember that young Mr. Cohen is coming, and I should
like somebody to be down to receive him."

Jane's only answer to this remark was to pass through the door and slam
it behind her. Clearly the prospect of the advent of this guest was not
agreeable to her.

"Well, Leonard," went on Mr. Beach when they were alone, in a tone that
was meant to be sympathetic but which jarred horribly on his listener's
ears, "this is a sad business, very sad. But why are you not sitting
down?"

"Because no one asked me to," said Leonard as he took a chair.

"Hem!" continued Mr. Beach; "by the way I believe that Mr. Cohen is a
friend of yours, is he not?"

"An acquaintance, not a friend," said Leonard.

"Indeed, I thought that you were at the same college."

"Yes, but I do not like him."

"Prejudice, my dear boy, prejudice. A minor sin indeed, but one against
which you must struggle. But there, there, it is natural that you should
not feel warmly about the man who will one day own Outram. Ah! as I
said, this is all very sad, but it must be a great consolation to you to
remember that when everything is settled there will be enough, so I am
told, to pay your unhappy father's debts. And now, is there anything
that I can do for you or your brother?"