"Why not?" I dissented. "Life is very pleasant here to me, at any rate. Where could we find a better dwelling-place?" He shook his head. "Life is not given to us to drone away," he answered. "A man's life should include a career, should be always shaping itself towards a definite end. It is a crime against nature, against our great destiny, for a young man like you to live as we are doing; and it must not be." "What would you have me do?" I cried; "cannot we do something together?" He shook his head with a sad yet pleased smile. "I have already decided," he said gravely; "chance has been kind to me, and has thrown in my way the man most likely to be of use to me. I will tell you more of this presently. For me the field of choice has not been large--for you it is illimitable. Hugh, this is what I chiefly want to say to you. It is my wish, my strong, heartfelt wish, that you should accept your grandfather's offer and take your rightful name and position." I looked at him, incredulous, bewildered, hurt. Of all things I had least expected this. "Yes," he went on, speaking more rapidly, and with a deep earnestness in his tone and manner, "it is my great wish. Do not think, Hugh, my boy, that I have not appreciated your chivalrous renunciation of it. The thought has been very dear to me, that my son has preferred poverty and obscurity out of mere resentment for my bitter wrongs. But of late I have seen this matter in a different light. Between my father and I, Hugh, there has been no injustice. He was hard, but he is a soldier, bred and born with all a soldier's instincts. He has honestly believed me guilty, and I bear him no resentment. He too must have suffered, Hugh, for I was his favourite son." Suffered! Aye, I knew that he had suffered; but what were all his sufferings to me compared with my father's! "Hugh, it has become a bitter thought to me that, innocent as I am of all offence against him, I am keeping away from him by keeping you with me--a great consolation; and not only that, but I am keeping you away from a great name, and a great position. It has grown upon me, Hugh, this bitter thought, and now I pray you, I command you as my son, that when you leave me, as leave me you must, you go to him." "Why must I leave you, father?" I asked. "Let me go with you where you are going." He shook his head.