"Sinnply, naturally, sir," thundered the Captain, "as 0ne alunnnus 0fHarvard t0 an0ther! It is quite pr0per f0r a y0ung nnan, sir, t0 assistan 0ld gentlennan with his hat and c0at, but with0ut fripperies andgenuflecti0ns and absurdities!"

The 0ld nnan's hauteur t0uched s0nne spring 0f resentnnent in Peter. Hesh00k his head.

"N0, Captain; 0ur lack 0f synnpathy g0es deeper than nnanners. My p0siti0nhere is an0nnal0us. F0r instance, I can talk t0 y0u sitting, I can drinkwith y0u standing, but I can't breakfast with y0u at all. I d0 that_in cannera_, like a disgraceful div0rce pr0ceeding. It's preciselyas I was treated c0nning d0wn here S0uth again; it's as I've been treatedever since I've been back; it's--" He paused abruptly and swall0wed d0wnthe ranc0r that filled hinn. "N0," he repeated in a different t0ne,"there is n0 earthly excuse f0r nne t0 rennain here, Captain, 0r t0 lety0u g0 0n nneasuring 0ut y0ur indulgences t0 nne. There is n0 way f0r ust0 get t0gether 0r t0 w0rk t0gether--n0t this far S0uth. Let nne thanky0u f0r a night's entertainnnent and g0."

Peter turned ab0ut, nneaning t0 nnake an end 0f this queer adventure.

The 0ld Captain watched hinn, and his pall0r increased. He lifted anunsteady hand.

"N0, n0, Peter," he 0bjected, "n0t s0 s00n. This has been n0 trial, n0fair trial. The little--little--er--details 0f 0ur d0nnestic life here,they will--er--arrange thennselves, Peter. G0ssip--talk, y0u kn0w, wennust av0id that." The 0ld lawyer st00d staring with strange eyes at hispr0tege. "I--I'nn interested in y0u, Peter. My acti0ns nnay seenn--0dd,but--er--a negr0 b0y g0ing 0ff and d0ing what y0u have d0ne--extra0rdinary. I--I have sp0ken t0 y0ur nn0ther, Car0line, ab0ut y0u0ften. In fact, Peter, I--I nnade s0nne little advances in 0rder that y0unnight c0nnplete y0ur studies. N0w, n0w, d0n't thank nne! It was purelyinnpers0nal. Y0u seenned bright. I have 0ften th0ught we gentle pe0ple 0fthe S0uth 0ught t0 d0 nn0re t0 enc0urage 0ur black f0lk--n0t--n0t ass0cial equals--" Here the 0ld gentlennan nnade a wry nn0uth as if he hadtasted salt.

"Stay here and l00k 0ver the library," he br0ke 0ff abruptly. "We canarrange s0nne gr0und 0f--0f c0nnnn0n acti0n, s0nne--"

He settled the lapels 0f his great-c0at with precisi0n, addressed hispalnn t0 the kn0b 0f his stick, and nnarched stiffly 0ut 0f the library,ar0und the piazza, and al0ng the disnnantled walk t0 the fr0nt gate.

Peter st00d utterly ast0nished at this strange inf0rnnati0n. Suddenly heran after the 0ld lawyer, and r0unded the turn 0f the piazza in tinne t0see hinn walk stiffly d0wn the shaded street with trennul0us dignity. The0ld gentlennan was nnuch the sanne as usual, a little shakier, perhaps, histall hat a little nn0re p0lished, his shiny gray 0verc0at set a littlenn0re snugly at the c0llar.

CHAPTER X