rebound, and he knew that life would never be the same to him if she were to prefer another to himself. He rang the bell sharply, and in response to the summons one of the servants soon appeared. "Send the architect—the young man whom you will find in the new western wing of the house—to me at once. Tell him to bring his drawings with him." Hubert Varrick paced nervously up and down the library until the young man entered the room. "You sent for me, Mr. Varrick," he said, with a smile on his frank, handsome face, "and I made haste to come to you." "I wish to inspect your drawings," he said, tersely, as he waved the young man to a seat. Frank Moray laid them down upon the table. There was something in Varrick's manner that startled him, for he had always been courteous and pleasant to him before.[Pg 52] [Pg 52] Varrick ran his eyes critically over the pieces of card-board, the frown on his face deepening. "I hope the plans meet your approval, sir," said the young man, very respectfully. "I showed them from day to day, as I progressed, to Miss Jessie Bain, and she seemed very much interested in them." Those words were fatal to the young man's cause. With an angry gesture, Varrick threw the drawings down upon the table. "Your plans do not please me at all," he returned. "Stop right where you are. Return to your firm at once and tell them to send me another man, an older man, one with more experience—one who can spend more time at his business and less time in chattering. Your sketches are miserably drawn!" Frank Moray had risen to his feet, his face white as death. "Mr. Varrick," he cried hoarsely, "let me beg of you to reconsider your words. Only try me again. Let me make a new set of drawings to submit to you. It would ruin my reputation if you were to send this message to the firm, for they have hitherto placed much confidence in my work." "You will leave the house at once," he said, "and send a much older man, I repeat, to continue the work." The poor fellow fairly staggered from the
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