The Fruit of the Tree

eak in too abruptly on the flow of her friend's

memorable pictures, seemed, after all, a not incongruous setting to her charms; so that when she rose to go, saying, as her hand met Amherst's, "Tonight, then, you must

h the slangy grossness he sometimes affected; but Amherst left it to his mother t

ther lady at the office this morning," Duplain went on, while the two men lit their cigars in the

me? What did s

with an awful lot of black hair fitting cl

you show her over?" he a

ve Truscomb get on to it and turn me down?

o heaven a yellow reporter _would_ go through these

ces; but a moment later his regret was dispelled by the thought of his visit to Mrs. Westmore. The afternoon hours dragged slowly by in the office, where he was bound to his desk by Truscomb's continu

door opened and Dr. Disbrow came out. The physician drew back, as if surprised and slightly disc

nt report of both patients--Mr. Truscomb, I mean, and poor Dillon. This mild weather is all in t

stance from his own. Amherst at once felt a change of atmosphere, and it was easy to guess that the lowering of temperature was due to Dr. Disbrow's recent visit. The thought roused the young man's combat

he had been unable to conceal his sense of

all, dry, dictatorial, in the careless finish of his evening dress and pearl-studded shirt-front, his appearance put the finishing touch to Amherst's irritation. He felt the incongruousness of his rough clo

lieve you are exactly on time; but Mrs. Westmore is unexpectedly detained. The fact is, Mr. and Mrs. Ha

Truscomb's being about again in a day or two, it might well be that this was his last chance of reaching Mrs. Westmore's ear; and he was bound to put his case while

was really out of proportion to what he signified. "Mrs. Westmore has aske

xclaimed; and the lawyer replied indifferent

le of a cold beneficence; but to deny what it was in his power to accord was the readiest way of proclaiming hi

us concession to politeness: "You are perhaps not aware that I am Mrs.

entials to a subordinate; but his manner no longer incensed Amherst: it merely strengthe

ss I can assert myself now"; and the unconscious wording of his thought expressed his

rant, which he could have disregarded in appealing to Mrs. Westmore, made it hard for him to find a good opening in addressing her representative. He saw, too, from Mr. Tredegar's prot

re," he began, "asked me to let her know something

Mrs. Westmore that it was you who asked her permission to call this e

I don't in any sense represent the operativ

eg over the other, bringing into his line of vision the glossy tip

now of your intentio

own interests," he continued with a slight smile. "I know that my proceeding is quite out of order, and that I have, personally, everything to lose by it, and in a larger way

t Mr. Truscomb will not do so

mile. "Because it is owing to

Tredegar, speaking with deliberation, "is--er--

pt his temper. "I see nothing espe

that you have waited to speak till Mr. Trusc

hat I took her over the mills, and feeling as I do I should have thought i

without parted the fog of self-complacency in which he moved, he had a shrewd enough outlook on men and moti

spoken in a more accessible tone.

rk and live--to the whole management of the mill

make sure that his hearer took in the full irony of this--"but surely in this st

either a dead letter, or else so easily evaded

ainst the Westmore mills is part of a gene

are well treated, it is due rather to the personal g

you think the Westmore

attitude of the company toward the operatives. I hoped that Mrs. Westmore might return to the mills--might visit some of the people in their houses. Seeing their way o

nd as the matron told us he was much better--a piece of news which, I am ha

n you consider it typical of the defects you find in Mr. Truscomb's management. Suppose, therefore, we drop gener

n their bare ugliness, without emotional drapery; setting forth Dillon's good record for sobriety and skill, dwelling on the fact that his wife's ill-health was the result of perfectly remediable conditions in the work-rooms, and giving his reasons for the belief that the accident had been caused, not by Dillon's carel

Mr. Gaines's attenti

always refused to discuss the condition

ere, sees as much reason for trusting Truscomb's judgment a

that Dillon's injury is much slighter than it ought to be to serve your purpose. Dr. Disbrow has just told us that he will probably get off with the loss of a finger; and I need hardly say that, whatever may have been Dillon's own share in causing the accident--and as to this, as you admit, opinions differ--Mrs. Westmore will assume all the expenses of his nu

restrained himself from pushing back the cheque wh

. "And the proof of it is the impunity with which her agents deceive her--in this case, for instance, of Dillon's injury. Dr. Disbrow, who is Mr. Truscomb's brother-in-law, and apt to be influe

hair, and eyes darkening under furrowed brows, he presented an image of

o speak? Are you prepared to

o ask you to take my word for it," he

ng to the expressive syllable its

ut: "It is all you have required of Dr. Disbrow--

d by prolonging our talk. I will not even take up your insinuations against two of the

nly specific charge from Mrs. Westmore was to hand you this cheque; but, in spite of what has passed, I take it upon myself to add, in her behalf, that your conduct of today will no

*

two gentlemen who still lingered over a desultory breakfast in Mrs. Westmore's

hall have to ask you to

here: rather her soft effulgence dissipated the morning frosts, opening pinched spirits to a promise of midday warmth. But on this occasion a mist of uncertainty hung on her smile, and veiled the glance which she turned on the contents of the heavy silver dishes successively presented to her notice. When, at the conclusion of this

at Bessy has telegraphed for Cicely, and mad

ole lounging person, and Mr. Tredegar, removing his tortoise-shell reading-glass

ghope gasped, while she r

scomb?" the lawyer asked; and Mrs. Ansell, regaining

d helplessly, tossing aside his paper

for his recovery," Mr. Tredegar pursued, as though setting forth a fact which ha

and Mrs. Ansell answered gently: "Sh

that case--if I had been notified earlier of this decision, I might have caught

e entreated. "We'll reason with her--we'll

phed at seven. Cicely and the go

ar friend, why on ear

minutes ago. Bessy called

something more than she had spoken, for as he stooped to pick up his paper he said, more easily: "My dear Tredegar, if

in advance, I might have arranged to postpone my engagements another day; but in any case, it is quite out of the question that I

he recovers, and answer any questions we may have to put; but if Bessy has sent for the child, we must of course put off going for today--at least I must," he added sighing,

gaily affirmed; and Mr. Tredegar, shrugging his shoulders,

ffecting a sudden desire for a second cup of tea, had reseated herself to await the rep

he asked, lighting a cigarette in re

t itself in the depths

f them," she said at length, exte

following appreciatively the mo

't resent the suggestion--that you and Mr. Tredegar were not quite we

ered an exclamat

acts before her--should she have gone over the whole business again with this interfering young fellow? How, in fact, could she have done so," he added,

st, gave her the chance to prolong her pause for a full minute. When the door had closed on him, she sa

u don't mean to suggest anything s

ou must have noticed it?--so amazingly like the portraits of the young Schiller. But I only meant that Bessy forms all

ouse they live in you'd think I had been providentially guided there!" and, reverting to the main issue, he went on fretfully: "But why, after hearing the true version of the facts, should Bessy still be influenced by that sensational sc

uld Bessy believe Dr. Disbr

the facts, whereas this young Amherst, as Tredegar pointed out, has the very

ink that, if that is his object, he is too clever to have shown his hand so soon. But if you are right, was t

t--but you credit my poor child with more

ong time--and about the wrong things. B

mine jump when you

But I want to help you to keep it from a

to the young

tion to fate. "All I ask you to consider for the present

as everything on e

ere in which it really thrives. And besides--to be human

aned, fortifying himself

entary little organ, the ment

vens, Maria, do you want to e

all means. If she doesn't, the man will take the place of the intere

houlders. "I don't follow y

ied to the gross stupidity of his remark. "Oh, I don't say it was

he mere fact that you and Mr. Tredegar objected to her seeing Mr. Amherst last night has

o oppose--poor Dick made her

t is, Bessy wasn't awake, she wasn't even born, then.... She is now

sive joy if the mills are t

l. I should, I own," Mrs. Ansell smiled, "not

of practical co

the young man's charges. You must remember that another peculiarity of the inf

ry unusual form of procedure? Perhaps you don't quite know

you perceive, my poor distracted friend, that if Truscomb turns rusty, as he undoubtedly will, the inevit

hope, snatching at an appreciative pressure of