This look of beatitude faded perceptibly when the message came that Mr. Keith was in the front shop and wished to see him. Mr. Keith, it appeared, had no time to spare. Isaac had, in fact, experienced a slight shock at the earliness of Keith's return. His first thought was that at the last moment there had been some serious hitch with Pilkington. He found Keith sitting before the counter in the attitude of a rather imperious customer; but the warm pressure of his son's hand removed this disagreeable effect of superiority. Keith's face wore signs of worry and agitation that confirmed Isaac's original fear. "Well," he said a little anxiously, "I didn't expect you back as early as this." "I haven't come to stop. I've got to catch the twelve-thirty back again. I came up because I wanted to talk to you." "Come," said Isaac, "into the office." He laid his hand on Keith's shoulder as they went. He felt very kindly towards him at that moment. His heart was big with trust in the brilliant, impetuous boy. When he touched Keith's hand he had felt that intellectual virtue had gone out of it. He guessed that there was a crisis in the affairs of the House of Rickman, and that Keith had come with warning and with help. He knew his power of swift and effectual action in a crisis. Yes, yes; Keith's wits might go wool-gathering; but he was safe enough when he had gathered his wool. "Well?" he repeated, lifting grave interrogative eyebrows. He had seated himself; but Keith remained standing, a sign with him of extreme perturbation. "I thought I could explain things better if I saw you," he began. "Quite so; quite so. I hope you haven't come to tell me there's been any 'itch." "Well, I told you as much when I wrote." "I understood you advised me to withdraw, because you thought Pilkington wanted a big price." "I didn't know what he wanted; I knew what we ought to give." "That was settled by looking in the register. You don't mean to say _he_'s going to back out of it?" Keith was so preoccupied that he failed to see the drift of his father's questioning. "You see," he continued, following his own thoughts, "it's not as if we had only ourselves to consider. There's Miss Harden." "Ah, yes, Pilkington did make some mention of a young lady." "She was good enough to say she'd rather we bought the library than anybody. I think we're bound to justify her confidence." "Certainly, most certainly, we are," said Isaac with solemnity. He was agreeably flattered by this tribute to the greatness of his house. "I thought I did right in promising that we would do our very best for her." "Of course you were. But that's all settled. Mr. Pilkington knows that I'm prepared to meet his wishes." "His wishes?" "He gave me to understand that he was anxious to have a sum to hand over to the young lady. In fact, he wrote me a most touching appeal." "What d----d impertinence! He had no business to appeal!"