The  great  apartment,  with  the  purple  clouds  of
tobacco  smoke,  which  were  settling  against  its  low
ceiling  and  in  its  far  corners,  transfused  with  gold-
en gleams  of  candles  and  rosy  flashes  of  fire-light,
dingy  as  to  wall-paper  and  carpet,  with  the  dost  of
months  upon  all  shiny  surfaces,  seemed  a  very  for-
tress of  bachelorhood  wherein  no  woman  might  enter.
The  lawyer's  books  in  the  tall  cases  were  arranged
in  close  ranks  of  strictest  order,  as  were  also  the
neatly  ticketed  files  of  letters  and  documents  in  the
pigeon-holes  of  the  great  desk ;  otherwise  the  whole


room  seemed  fluttering  and  protruding  out  of  its
shadows  with  loose  ends  o£  paper  and  corners  of
books.  All  the  free  lines  in  the  room  wore  the  tan-
gents of  irrelevancy  and  disorder.
The  lawyer,  puffing  at  his  pipe,  with  eyes  half
closed,  did  not  look  at  Jerome,  hut  his  attitude  was
expectant.
Jerome  stared  at  the  blazing  fire  with  a  hesitat-
ing frown,  then  he  turned  with  sudden  resolution
to  Means,  "Can  I  see  you  alone  s,  minute?"  he
asked.
The  Colonel  rose,  without  a  word,  and  lounged  out
of  the  room;  when  the  door  had  shut  behind  him,
Jerome  turned  again  to  the  lawyer,  ^'  I  want  to
know  if  yon  are  willing  to  sell  me  two  hundred  and
sixty-five  dollars'  worth  of  your  land,"  said  he.
"  Which  land  ?"

"Your  land  on  Q-raystone  brook.  I  want  one
hundred  and  thirty-two  dollars  ivud  fifty  cents'  worth
on  each  side."

"  Why  don't  you  make  it  even  dollars,  and  what  in
thunder  do  you  want  the  land  on  two  aides  for  ?"
aakod  the  lawyer,  in  his  dry  voice,  threaded  between
his  lips  and  pipe.
