.
For my part, I think you have a grand opportunity to exercise courage
and patience, and to win honour and glory as a true hero. Just you go
down and speak to Aunt Mary and Violet about it."

"I think I see myself doing it!" said Philip, as though it were a thing
utterly impossible and not to be considered for a moment.

However, before many days were over, he found himself at the bridge
house, enjoying Mrs Inglis's kindly sympathy, and the delighted welcome
of the children, more than he would have imagined possible. He had seen
very little of any of them for a long time, and was ashamed of his
defection, conscious as he was of the cause. It was not comfortable for
him to talk with Mrs Inglis, or to share in the pursuits and amusements
of her young people, with the consciousness of wrong-doing upon him.
Wrong-doing according to _their_ standard of right and wrong, he meant,
of course. According to _his_ standard, there were many things he could
do, and many things he could leave undone, quite innocently, of which
they would not approve. Several of such questionable incidents had
occurred in his manner of life about the time of their return from
Gourlay last year, and he had kept away from them. He had been too busy
since his coming back from M-- to see much of any of his friends, and
this was his first visit to the bridge house for a long time.

"Why did you not come before?" said little Mary.

"I have been very busy. Are you glad to see me now?"

"Yes, very glad, and so is mamma and all of us. I want to show you
something." And the child went on to make confidences about her own
personal affairs, into which Mr Philip entered with sufficient
interest, as his manner was. He had only time for a word or two with
the mother before Jem and David came in.

"Your father is really improving, I am glad to hear," said Mrs Inglis
when the children left them.

Philip's face clouded.

"Is he better? It hardly seems to me that he gains at all. He is very
much discouraged about himself."

"Frank thinks him better. It is a great relief to him, he says, that
you are here."

"I ought never to have gone away," said Philip, sighing.

"But your father wished it, did he not? Perhaps it would have been
better had you been here. However, you are here now. Frank says he
begun to improve the very day you consented to assist Mr Caldwell in
the settlement of his affairs."

Philip hung his head.

"Don't be hard on