tremors had trembled away; she was like a child who discovers that the shaggy monster it has so long been afraid to touch is an inanimate terror, compounded of straw and saw-dust, and that it is even a safe audacity to tickle its nose. As to whether the love-knot of which Mary Garland had the keeping still held firm, who should pronounce? The young girl, as we know, did not wear it on her sleeve. She always sat at the table, near the candles, with a piece of needle-work. This was the attitude in which Rowland had first seen her, and he thought, now that he had seen her in several others, it was not the least becoming. CHAPTER X. The Cavaliere There befell at last a couple of days during which Rowland was unable to go to the hotel. Late in the evening of the second one Roderick came into his room. In a few moments he announced that he had finished the bust of his mother. “And it ‘s magnificent!” he declared. “It ‘s one of the best things I have done.” “I believe it,” said Rowland. “Never again talk to me about your inspiration being dead.” “Why not? This may be its last kick! I feel very tired. But it ‘s a masterpiece, though I do say it. They tell us we owe so much to our parents. Well, I ‘ve paid the filial debt handsomely!” He walked up and down the room a few moments, with the purpose of his visit evidently still undischarged. “There ‘s one thing more I want to say,” he presently resumed. “I feel as if I ought to tell you!” He stopped before Rowland with his head high and his brilliant glance unclouded. “Your invention is a failure!” “My invention?” Rowland repeated. “Bringing out my mother and Mary.” “A failure?” “It ‘s no use! They don’t help me.” Rowland had fancied that Roderick had no more surprises for him; but he was now staring at him, wide-eyed. “They bore me!” Roderick went on. “Oh, oh!” cried Rowland. “Listen, listen!” said Roderick with perfect gentleness. “I am not complaining of them; I am simply stating a fact. I am very sorry for them; I am greatly disappointed.” “Have you given them a fair trial?” “Should n’t you say so? It seems to me I have behaved beautifully.” “You have done very well; I have been building great hopes on it.” “I have done too well, then. After the first forty-eight hours my own hopes collapsed. But I determined to fight it out; to stand within the temple; to let the spirit of the Lord descend! Do you want to know the result? Another week of it, and I shall begin to hate them. I shall want to poison them.” “Miserable boy!” cried Rowland. “They are the loveliest of women!” “Very likely! But they mean no more to me than a Bible text to an atheist!” “I utterly fail,” said Rowland, in a moment, “to understand your relation to Miss Garland.” Roderick shrugged his shoulders and let his hands drop at his sides. “She adores me! That ‘s my relation.” And he smiled strangely. “Have you broken your engagement?” “Broken it? You can’t break a ray of moonshine.”