Part 3 (1/2)

”And a that you allowed yourself the liberty--of punctuating that comment?”

”You have been well informed, sir,” I answered ”I struck hiesture of acknowledgment, and half turned in his chair, the better to speak over his shoulder

”Did I hear aright, Brutus?” he inquired ”There's faith for you and loyalty! He called the boy a liar who called me a cheat at cards! Ah, those illusions of youth! Ah for that sweet litter in the sky overhead! It's only the wine that brings it back today--called hiave him the blow!”

”But pardon,” he went on His voice was still grave and slow, though his lips were bent in a bitter little smile His face had reddened, and it was the wine, I think, that ht

”Overlook, I beg, the rudeness of my interruption The exceptional in your narrative quite intrigues me, my son Doubtless your impulsive action led to the conventional result?”

There he sat, a temper My reply shaped itself almost without my volition

”Excuse me, sir,” I retorted, ”if I say the result was reater provocation”

”Had it ever occurred to you, reater also? Let us call it so, at any rate, and go on with our adventure”

”As you will, sir,” I said ”We all make our mistakes”

He raised his eyebrows in polite surprise, and his hand in a gesture of protest

”Ouryou had a coin to fear your education is deficient Surely you have agility and courage Why a mistake,and not in the end Ihe told an untruth”

”Indeed?” said h for the evening Do you not consider your error--how shall we put it--quite inexcusable in view of the other things you have doubtless heard?”

But I could only stare dumbly at hioes the gossip now? Surely there is more about s in his glass--”the rest?”

I eyed hilance fairly, indulging apparently in the saht have displayed before some episode of the theatre It was a useless question that he asked He knew too well that the ansas obvious

”Yes,” I said, ”I have heard it”

”So,” he exclaimed cheerfully, ”my reputation still continues Wonderful, is it not, how durable a bad reputation is, and how fragile a good one

One bounds back like a rubber ball The other shatters like a lustre punch bowl And did the sahten you about this, the most fatal parental weakness?”

”No,” I said, ”I learned of it later”

He raised his hand and began gently stroking his coat lapel, his fingers quickly crossing it in a vain search for so back and forth with a steady persistence, while he watched ht I ask who told you?” he inquired

”Your brother-in-law,” I replied, ”My Uncle Jason”