"
"As his representative I am not a hard creditor," I smiled.
"I know, I know--" he began impetuously and stopped.
I continued:
"My boy, there is always the deuce to pay. If not for one thing,
then for another. So your observation would serve for any other
time as well as now. The point is this: you are ten years younger
than I, and you are under my care; and much as I dislike to talk,
we must reach an understanding."
"Well?" said Harry, lighting a cigarette and seating himself on
the arm of a chair.
"You have often thought," I continued, "that I have been trying
to interfere with your freedom. But you are mistaken; I have
merely been trying to preserve it--and I have succeeded."
"When our father and mother died you were fifteen years of age.
You are now twenty-two; and I take some credit for the fact that
those seven years have left no stain, however slight, on the name
of Lamar."
"Do I deserve that?" cried Harry. "What have I done?"
"Nothing irremediable, but you must admit that now and then I
have been at no small pains to--er--assist you. But there, I
don't intend to speak of the past; and to tell the truth, I
suspect that we are of one mind.
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