Hink Christopher will score a success." "Yes, in spite of you both, by reason of his practical, determined, hard-headed nature
which he probably inherits from his father, eh?" "You are
probably right. I am not in a position to say." "You did not know his parents?" Charles Aston pushed back his chair and looked beyond Peter to the portrait of Aymer. They
must come to close quarters or he would give out, and suddenly it came to him that he must
adhere to his universal rule, must give the better
side of the man's nature a chance before
he openly defied him. The decision was made quite quickly. Peter
only recognised a slight pause. "You seem interested in Christopher," Mr. Aston said slowly. "I will tell
you what there is to know. About eleven years
ago Aymer became possessed of a passionate
desire to have a boy to bring up, since he might not have one of his own. In huntin g for a suitable one I stumbled on the son of someone I had known

who had fallen on very evil days." He stopped a moment. Peter
took out another cigar and lit it. "On very evil days," repeated the other.
"The boy
was left at a country workhouse in this county as it happened.

I knew enough of his paternity to know that he was a suitable
subject for Aymer to father. I have
never regretted what I did. The boy has become the mainspring of Aymer's life; he lives again in him. All that has been denied him, he finds
in Christopher's career; all he cannot give the world he has given to this boy, this son of his heart and soul. No father
could love more, could suffer more. And Christopher is repaying
him. He has known
no father but Aymer, no authority but his, no conflicting claim. I pray God daily that neither now nor in the future shall any shadow fall between these two to cancel by one solitary item Christopher's obligation to his adopted
father. Perhaps I am selfish over it, but anyway, Aymer
is my son, and I understand how it is
with him." There was a silence in the room. Peter puffed vehe