Alayne watch over him? What can she know of the temptations that befall a young man?"
"Man!" rumbled Nicholas. "Callow boy!"
"He must be fetched," said Grandmother, "and that at once. Ernest shall go for him."
If Ernest had been told that he was to join an Arctic exploring party, he could not have looked more surprised. "But, Mama," he said, "why me?"
"Because," she responded, vigorously, "Nick cannot travel on account of his knee. Renny cannot travel on account of his leg. Piers is too busy, and, besides, he has never been there. Eden—what's become of Eden?"
"He's away, Mama."
"Hmph. I don't like this going away. I want the young folk about me. You had better fetch him, too. You're the one to go."
"I quite agree with Mama," said Augusta.
Mother and daughter looked at each other, amazed to find themselves in accord.
Old Mrs. Whiteoak moved and settled her teeth into a more efficient position in her mouth with a crunching noise.
"Mama, must you do that?" asked Ernest.
She disregarded the question, but, with a grim grin at her daughter, remarked: "Well spoken, Lady Bunkley."
After the first consternation had worn off, Ernest was thrilled through all his being by the adventure of going to New York. He had always intended to visit it again. Europe seemed out of the question. But he had procrastinated, because of lack of money and indolence, till the intention had become more and more shadowy, and would have melted into the shadow of other unfulfilled intentions had not the family forced him to action.
Two days later he was eating his dinner in the train. He felt extraordinarily pleased with himself as he bent his head above the menu under the deferential black gaze of the waiter, and felt beneath him the deep, purposeful throbbing of the wheels. He even enjoyed the unaccustomed ice water.
As he sipped his coffee at the end of the meal, he did
