Trent confined himself to bowing silently, and Mendes accompanied Miss Finucane out of the room, leaving the brothers together. Alistair had remained still, with his head resting in his hands, as though exhausted by his passion. Hearing the door close, he looked up sullenly. “Well, what do you want with me?” he asked. Faithful to his resolve to be gracious, in spite of the provocations he had received, the Duke made a mild answer. “I want you to come home, Alistair.” “This is home.” “My house is your home,” said James, not unkindly; and, with a tact of which he was not always capable, he added: “Our mother’s house is the home of both of us.” Alistair reddened. “How is she?” he muttered. “She is very anxious and unhappy about you. I have promised her to save you, if you will let me.” This time the elder brother’s words were not so well chosen. It always grated on Alistair to be reminded that he was dependent on James. “I can’t leave my friends,” he said stubbornly. Trent thought of the company he had just seen depart, and his indignation got the better of him. “Friends!” he repeated. “Friends who have landed you in the Bankruptcy Court!” “Well, you didn’t keep me out of it!” Trent made a strong effort to keep his temper. “I have seen my solicitor to-day with the object of preventing the adjudication. Alistair, I will do it, if you will only pull yourself together, and make it possible for your mother and me to help you. I will pay your debts once more, though I can ill afford it, and start you again with a clean sheet, if you will only take advantage of it. Come! I have got the brougham waiting outside. Why shouldn’t you get up now, and let me take you straight away with me?” He tried to speak cheerfully and confidently. But there was no encouragement in the bleared eyes that looked up at him. “What! and leave Molly after she’s stuck to me all this time? D’you think I’m a cad, Trent?” “You called yourself a hooligan just now.” Trent regretted the retort the moment it had passed his lips. But it was too late. Alistair started up angrily. “And, damn it! I’ll _be_ a hooligan before I will sell the little woman for a few miserable thousands, like that! Go to the devil, you and your clean sheet! I’m sorry for the old mater, if she feels it, but I can’t stand your patronage, and I won’t have your moralizing; so you can just leave me alone.” “I will leave you alone!” exclaimed his brother. “God forgive me, I sometimes wonder what I have done to deserve being cursed with such a brother as you!” He turned and strode out of the room, leaving Alistair to sway and sink down with his head upon the table among the ashes and wine-stains of the extinguished revel. CHAPTER VIII A LEGITIMIST DEMONSTRATION