His father turned to him with a frown. This was hardly the support he expected. To his great pleasure, the sympathetic Mr. Brown also disapproved of the interruption. "One thing at a time, please," said he, and resumed his intelligent inquiries. "These young persons to whom your children have become engaged--they are hardly the matches you would have made at one time, are they?" "I'm afraid I was a bit of an ass at one time," Mr. Walkingshaw confessed. "I see, I see. And now, as to the engagements you have broken off--you felt yourself inspired, prompted from within, as it were, to bring them to an end, I take it?" "You've put it deuced well," said Heriot. "Did you feel in any way inspired from without--any visions or voices, so to speak, any manifestations or appearances--anything of that kind?" Mr. Walkingshaw looked a little puzzled. "The voices of romance and love, and that sort of thing, I certainly heard." "Quite so, quite so, Mr. Walkingshaw. You heard them, did you? Well, it's not every one who hears these things." He smiled pleasantly, and Mr. Walkingshaw became confirmed in his opinion that this was quite one of the most agreeable men he had met for a long time. "May I ask whether you propose to take any more steps to put this poor world of ours to rights?" inquired Mr. Brown. "He is taking control of the business again," said Andrew. "Again?" retorted Heriot. "When did I ever lose control of the business, I'd like to know? I've had my holiday, and now I'm going to make things hum in the office." "You are going to make them hum?" asked Mr. Brown. "Do you mean you are going to override your partner's decisions, and so on?" "My dear Mr. Brown, if I waited for his decisions, I'd be kicking up my heels in the office half the day. Metaphorically speaking, my son is somewhat like a man who fills his bath from a teacup instead of turning on the tap. I don't override his decisions, I simply anticipate them." "That is his account of it," said Andrew darkly. "Well, well," smiled Mr. Brown, "I think I understand. And now, Mr. Walkingshaw, may I ask if there is anything else you propose to do?" This time he glanced at Andrew, as if courting information. "He is altering his will," said the junior partner. "Ah!" remarked his visitor again. Mr. Walkingshaw drew himself up. "That is my own affair," he said, with dignity. "Quite so--quite so," replied Mr. Brown in that peculiarly soothing voice he had at his command. "We would wish to make no inquiries into that. Only, there's just one thing I'd like to know--you don't mean to let the grass grow under your feet, I take it?" "No fears," said Heriot. "What I mean to do, I'm going to do at once. By Jingo, I'll be under age in a few years! I've got to do things promptly." "Thank you," replied Mr. Brown suavely, "I think that is all I want to know. We needn't detain you any longer, Mr. Walkingshaw."