It was some one, perhaps, whose influence upon you, she had cause to fear." "It was very strange," returned the artist, hesitatingly.

"Perhaps I ought not to say it.

But I felt that, as you suggest, she feared for me to know.
She seemed to want to tell me, but did not, for _my_ sake.

It was very strange." Conrad Lagrange made no reply.
"I wanted you to know about mother,"-- continued the artist,--"because I would like you to understand why--why I must succeed in my work." The older man smiled to himself, in the dusk.

"I have always known why you must succeed, Aaron," he returned.