All this filled his brain and throat, clamored for expression; but not a word, not a protesting sound came from him. Suddenly he was tired; Epes felt as though the leaden weight of his future already rested on him. The other made an approving reference to Annice Balavan; and perversely, for no discoverable reason, in place of the golden vision of Annice he saw Sumatra, square, like a sampan--and defiant. When, for the time, Ira Calef had quite finished the expression of his balanced judgments Epes rose with the shadow of an instinctive bow. “Very good, sir.” The sea phrase was spoken in a voice without animation. Above, close by his room, he was mildly surprised to find his mother. It was evident that she had been waiting for him, and followed, carefully closing the door behind them. “How did you find Annice?” she asked. But to his reply that Annice had seemed well enough she paid no attention. With a quick, nervous gesture she pressed her handkerchief against her eyes. “And your father----” Epes said nothing. “Epes,” she cried, in a sudden realization of all that, it was now clear, she wanted to say to him, “no matter how hard and unreasonable he may seem, you mustn’t contradict him. It isn’t as though he were going to do you harm. What he plans is right; he can see so much farther than we can. And you will be very happy, I am sure, with Annice. You’ll forget the sea?” her voice rose in inquiry. “Never,” Epes answered. Clia Calef shivered momentarily. “I was afraid of something like that,” she admitted. “And that is why it is necessary for me to speak to you. You must do what your father wants.” This was, he thought, in view of his restraint, all unnecessary. He regarded his mother, seated with her head blurred against the candlelight, with a mature, unsympathetic attention. Women--the characteristic feminine world--were very far outside the scope of his interests and being. Even to his mother he could not explain, seek to justify himself; his inner being had grown obdurate, solitary; life, which had once, in the form of blue water, everywhere surrounded and touched him, had retreated, flowed away, leaving him on that sandy, meaningless beach. Why did she talk and talk?