At present he was leaning forward in his chair, a hand politely cupped about his ear to give an appearance of more profound attention to what Dan was saying. The latter stood at the other end of the room, before the fire, and with great earnestness addressed this ardent listener; but Harlan was relieved to see that although his brother’s eyes were extraordinarily bright and his cheeks ruddier than usual, there appeared no other symptoms, except his eloquence, of his dalliance at the club. “No, and always no!” he was protesting as the door opened. “If we lose that, we lose everything! This country——” But here Fred sprang up to take the tray from Martha. “Permit me! Indeed permit me!” he begged. “It must not be said of an Oliphant that he allowed a lady to perform menial——” “No, no!” She laughed, and evading his assistance, set the tray upon a table. “Do sit down, Fred.” “Since it is _you_ who command it!” he said gallantly and returned to his chair; but on the way perceived the gloomy Harlan and bowed to him. “My dear sir!” he said. “This is an honour as unexpected as it is gracious; an honour not only to our hostess but to——” “Sit down!” Harlan said brusquely. “Since it is _you_ who command it!” the other returned with the happy air of a man who delivers an entirely novel bit of repartee; then bowed again and complied. Dan came forward from his place before the fire. “Why, Harlan!” he exclaimed. “I thought you went to spend the evening with grandma.” “I did,” Harlan returned, and added pointedly: “Several hours ago!” “But it isn’t late, is it?” “No,” Martha said quickly;—“it isn’t. Won’t you both please sit down and let me give you some coffee?” “Really——” Harlan began, but she checked him and had her way; though Dan did not sit down. Instead, he returned to the fireplace with the coffee she gave him. “What I was tryin’ to explain to Fred when you came in,” he said;—“it was something I don’t think he understood at all, but I believe _you_ would, Martha.” “I beg you; I beg you,” the courtly Frederic interposed. “I was never gifted, yet I understood you perfectly. You said, ‘If we lose that, we lose everything.’ I think you must have been speaking of champagne.” “No, no,” Dan said, and for a moment appeared to be slightly annoyed; then he brightened. “I told you several times I meant our work for the new generation. The minute a man gets to be a father he belongs to the _old_ generation, and the only use he is, it’s to plan for the new one. From then on, that’s what his whole life ought to be—just buildin’ up the world for his son. Now you take this boy o’ mine——” “Excuse me,” his cousin interrupted earnestly. “You’re referring now to the one who was born late this afternoon?” “I mean my _boy_!” Dan replied; and his face glowed with the triumphant word. “I have a son! Didn’t you know it?” “It’s been mentioned, I believe, during the evening,” Frederic answered. “Excuse me, pray.”