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They were unconsciously using the past tense in discussing Siward, as though he were dead, either physically or socially

"In one way he was always a singularly decent reathis overcoat

"How exactly do you mean?"

"Oh, about woirl into the Patroons, it was his limit with her--and, I believe his limit with any woman He was absurdly decent that way; he was indeed And now look at the reputation he has! Isn't it funny? isn't it, now?"

"What sort of an effect do you suppose all this business is going to have on Siward?"

"It's had one effect already," replied Fleetwood, as Plank came up, ready for the street "Ferrall says he looks sick, and Belwether says he's going to the devil; but that's the sort of thing thebetween that pretty Landis girl and Siward? So somebody--talked about it somewhere, recently"

"I don't believe that, either," said Plank, in his heavy, measured, passionless voice, as they descended the steps of the white portico and looked around for a cab

"As forat his watch "I' up-town either of you fellows? I'll give you a lift as far as Seventy-second Street, Plank"

"Tell you e'll do," said Fleetwood, i to Plank: "We'll drive don, you and I, and we'll look up poor old Siward! Shall we? He's probably all alone in that God-forsaken red brick family tomb! Shall we? How about it, Plank?"

O'Hara turned iesture of adieu, cli away up the avenue

"I'd like to, but I don't think I know Mr Siell enough to do that," said Plank diffidently He hesitated, colouring up "Hewith you--as a liberty--which perhaps I ht not have ventured on had he been less--less unfortunate"

Again Fleetaras a friend of mine--if you care to look at it that way"

"Thank you," said Plank; "I should be very glad to go in that way"

The Siward house was old only in the co of the word; for in New York nothing is really very old, except the faces of the younghouse, and it was still so spoken of--a solid, dingy, red brick structure, cubical in proportions, surmounted by heavy chi of the thickness of wall and foundation Window-curtains of obsolete pattern, all alike, and all drawn, narled stems as thick as tree-trunks, crawled upward to the roof, dividing the façade equally, and furnishing some relief to its flatness, otherwise unbroken except by the deep reveals ofand door Two huge and unsy curb frorass-plots flanking the stoop under the baseed Rose-of-Sharon trees bristled naked to the height of the whitethe stained portico