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'I knohat you mean,' she answered, in a qualified tone 'Even this

old house in which we speak,' pursued her son, 'is an instance of what I

say In my father's earlier time, and in his uncle's time before him,

it was a place of business--really a place of business, and business

resort

Now, it is a ruity here, out of date and

out of purpose All our consignhah, as a check upon them, and in

the stewardship of ment and watchfulness

have been actively exerted, still those qualities would have influenced

my father's fortunes equally, if you had lived in any private dwelling:

would they not?'

'Do you consider,' she returned, without answering his question, 'that

a house serves no purpose, Arthur, in sheltering your infirhteously afflicted-- only of business purposes'

'With what object?' 'I a her eyes upon him, 'what it is

But the Lord forbid that I should repine under any visitation In my

sinfulness I rieve to hear you speak like this, though I have had my

apprehensions that you would--'

'You kneould You knew ME,' she interrupted

Her son paused for a moment He had struck fire out of her, and was

surprised 'Well!' she said, relapsing into stone