James Wylie is about to make a move on the dambrod, and in the little Scotch room thereis an awful silence befitting the occasion. James with his hand poised-for if he touches apiece he has to play it, Alick will see to that-raises his red head suddenly to read Alick'sface. His father, who is Alick, is pretending to be in a panic lest James should make thismove. James grins heartlessly, and his fingers are about to close on the 'man' when someinstinct of self-preservation makes him peep once more. This time Alick is caught: theunholy ecstasy on his face tells as plain as porridge that he has been luring James todestruction. James glares; and, too late, his opponent is a simple old father again. Jamesmops his head, sprawls in the manner most conducive to thought in the Wylie family, and, protruding his underlip, settles down to a reconsideration of the board. Alick blows out hischeeks, and a drop of water settles on the point of his nose.You will find them thus any Saturday night (after family worship, which sends theservant to bed); and sometimes the pauses are so long that in the end they forget whosemove it is.It is not the room you would be shown into if you were calling socially on Miss Wylie. Thedrawing-room for you, and Miss Wylie in a coloured merino to receive you; very likely shewould exclaim, "This is a pleasant surprise!" though she has seen you coming up the avenueand has just had time to whip the dustcloths off the chairs, and to warn Alick, David andJames, that they had better not dare come in to see you before they have put on a dickey.Nor is this the room in which you would dine in solemn grandeur if invited to drop in andtake pot-luck, which is how the Wylies invite, it being a family weakness to pretend thatthey sit down in the dining-room daily. It is the real living-room of the house, where Alick, who will never get used to fashionable ways, can take off his collar and sit happily in hisstocking soles, and James at times would do so also; but catch Maggie letting him.There is one very fine chair, but, heavens, not for sitting on; just to give the room a socialstanding in an emergency. It sneers at the other chairs with an air of insolent superiority, like a haughty bride who has married into the house for money. Otherwise the furniture ishomely; most of it has come from that smaller house where the Wylies began. There is thelarge and shiny chair which can be turned into a bed if you look the other way for amoment. James cannot sit on this chair without gradually sliding down it till he is lyingluxuriously on the small of his back, his legs indicating, like the hands of a clock, that it isten past twelve; a position in which Maggie shudders to see him receiving compa