The brother* were tie best of friends
1 hey understood and sympathized with eaci
others' likes, dislikes and weaknesses. Dull,
once in their lives had they quarrelled. bul
That quarrel had lasted for six years. They
shudder now os they look back ujxn that
time.
It was no vulgar dispute, which is made
known to all the world and in which mutual
friends are expected to take sides. It was
only the Talberts themselves who knew that
a quarrel existed. To outsiders they seemed
more absurdly polite to i ach other than be
tare.
The cause of Vhe quarrel was the interfer
[ enoe of one brother in the other’s affairs. They
i were peculiar men, and very tenacious of the
| Englishman'* duty of minding his own busi-
I ness. On a certain invasion one of them
| fancied a rather delicate matter as much his
' own business as his brother's. He was mis
i taken. They did not use high words, because
j such things ware n< it in their line; but each
; brother was sadly firm. The upshot was that
for six years they only spoke when they met
! in society.
