Part 10 (1/2)

I looked at hi to shake off the drowsiness that crowded upon hted me to that rooave him

”Too much wine,” said Brutus quickly

But when he spoke, I kneas not wine that h He thrust the bowl he was holding nearer to me

”And now you poison ation

”Hah!” he grunted, and eive hi, Brutus?” I asked

He gulped and nodded in assent

”Last night you kill lanced at hie of the chocolate bowl It was the first tih at so truly a Christian doctrine

”Monsieur sends compliments,” he said

”Brutus,” came my father's voice across the hall, ”tell hi”

He was sitting before his fire, wrapped in a dressing gown of Chinese silk, es and shovel lay a pair of riding boots, still so wet and mud-spattered that he must have pulled them off within the hour A decanter of rum was near him on a stand On his knee was a volu hi up the gray satin small clothes of the previous day, which had been tossed in a careless heap on the floor, and I perceived that they also bore the marks of travel Careful , had been at pains to tell ent politeness he remained blandly reticent For him the day seemed to have started afresh, independent and unrelated to other days It had awakened in hireeted ay wave of the hand and a nod of invitation towards the ruood nature

”A very goodto you, my son,” he said ”So you have slept Gad, how I envy you! It is hard to be a ularity”

He waved esture, timed and directed so that it ended at the ruh Brutus,” he continued confidentially, ”but it is a habit of mine which I find it hard to break

I a till I have finished my cup of chocolate I have seen too many quarrels flare up over an empty stomach”

He stretched a foot nearer the blaze, and s

”And it would be a pity to have a falling out on such a reat pity, to be sure”

The very thought of it seehtful contemplation, for he sipped his rum in silence until the tumbler was half empty

”Once in Bordeaux,” he volunteered at last, ”there was a man whom I fear I provoked quite needlessly--all because I alking in the garden with a headache, and my chocolate was late--Lay out the other shi+rt, Brutus, I ?”

”That you alking in the garden with a headache,” I re better to ith near at hand?”

He shrugged his shoulders, drained his glass, and wiped his fingers carefully on a cambric handkerchief

”Either that or h, I preferred the headache He ht have been alive today if I had had hed

”You wanted to see me?” I asked, ”or simply to impress me?”