“No ‘perhaps’ about it; of course it does. At least, you can hear what I have to say without telling him, whether you go into the thing or not; do you promise me that?” “I don’t think I wish to promise anything,” said Horace, doubtingly. “All right! If you won’t deal, you won’t; and I must protect myself my own way.” Mr. Tenney did not rise and again begin buttoning his coat, nor was it, indeed, necessary. There had been menace enough in his tone to effect his purpose. “Very well, then,” answered Horace, in a low voice; “if you insist, I promise.” “I shall know within half an hour if you do tell him,” said Mr. Tenney, in his most affable manner; “but of course you won’t.” “Of course I won’t!” snapped Horace, testily. “All right, then. So far, so good. The first thing, then, is to put the affairs of the Minster women into your hands.” Horace took his feet off the table, and looked in fixed surprise at his father’s partner. “How--what do you mean?” he stammered at last, realizing, even as he spoke, that there were certain strange depths in Mr. Tenney’s eyes which had been dimly apparent at the outset, and then had been for a long time veiled, and were now once more discernible. “How do you mean?” “It can be fixed, as easy as rolling off a log. Old Clarke has gone to Florida for his health, and there’s going to be a change made. A word from me can turn the whole thing over to you.” “A word from you!” Horace spoke with incredulity, but he did not really doubt. There was a revelation of reserve power in the man’s glance that fascinated him. “That’s what I said. The question is whether I shall speak it or not.” “To be frank with you”--Horace smiled a little--“I hope very much that you will.” “I daresay. But have you got the nerve for it?--that’s the point. Can you keep your mouth shut, and your head clear, and will you follow me without kicking or blabbing? That’s what I want to know.” “And that’s just what I can’t tell you. I’m not going to bind myself to do unknown things.” Horace said this bravely enough, but the shrewd, listening ear understood very well the lurking accent of assent. “You needn’t bind yourself to anything, except to tell Tracy nothing till I give you the word, and then only what we shall agree upon. Of course, later on he will have to know something about it. But leave that to me. And mind, mum’s the word.” Mr. Tenney rose now, not tentatively, but as one who is really going. Horace sprang to his feet as well, and despite the other’s declaration that he was pressed for time, and had already stayed too long, insisted on detaining him.