Like most men of the boasting sort, Peterkin was a coward, and though he probably had twice the strength of Arthur, he went through the door-way out upon the piazza, where he stopped, and, with a flourish of his fist, denounced the whole Tracy tribe, declaring them but a race of upstarts, no better than he was, and saying he would yet be even with them, and make them feel the heft of his powerful disapprobation.  Whatever else he said was not heard, for Arthur shut the door upon him, and returning to the library, where his brother stood, pale, trembling, and anxious for the votes he felt he had lost, he became on the instant as quiet and gentle as a child, and, consulting his watch, said in his natural tone: 

’Quarter of seven, and the train is due at half-past.  Please tell John to have the carriage ready.  I am going myself this time.’

Frank opened his lips to protest against it, but something in his brother’s manner kept him quiet and submissive.  He was no longer master there—­unless—­unless—­he scarcely dared whisper to himself what; but when the carriage went for the fourth time to the station after Gretchen and returned without her, he said to his wife: 

‘I think Arthur is crazy, and possibly we shall have to shut him up.’

‘Yes, I wish you would,’ was Dolly’s reply, in a tone of relief, for, thus far, Arthur’s presence in the house had not added to her comfort.  ’Of course he is crazy, and ought to be taken care of before he tears the house down over our heads, or does some dreadful thing.’

’That’s so, and I will see St. Claire to-morrow and find out the proper steps to be taken,’ said Frank.

That night he dreamed of windows with iron bars across them, and strait-jackets, into which he was thrusting his brother, while a face, the loveliest he had ever seen, looked reproachfully at him, with tears in the soft blue eyes, and a pleading pathos in the voice which said words he could not understand, for the language was a strange one to him who only knew his own.

With a start Frank awoke, and found his wife sitting up in bed, listening intently to sounds which came from the hall, where some one was evidently moving around.

‘Hark!’ she said, in a whisper.  ’Do you hear that?  There’s a burglar in the house after my diamonds.  What shall I do?’

But Frank knew that no burglar ever made the noise this disturber of their rest was making and stepping out of bed he opened the door cautiously, and looking out, saw his brother, wrapped in a long dressing-gown, with a candle in his hand, opening one window after another until the hall was filled with the cold night wind, which swept down the long corridor banging a door at the farther end and setting all the rest to rattling.

‘Oh!  Frank, is that you?’ Arthur said.  ’I am sorry I woke you, but I smelled an awful smell somewhere, and traced it to the hall, which you see I am airing; better shut the door or you will take cold.  The house is full of malaria.’