er his weight.

"Mother," he exclaimed with animation, "I've got strange news to tell
you. Is Willie at home?"

"No, but I expect him every minute. He promised to come home earlier
to-day, and won't be long, for he is a boy of his word."

Mrs Willders persisted in calling her strapping sons "boys," despite
the evidence to the contrary on their cheeks and chins.

"Here he comes!" cried Frank, as a rapid step was heard.

Next moment the door burst open and Willie, performing much the same
ceremony that Frank had done, and in a wonderfully similar way, said he
had come home with something strange to tell, though not altogether
strange either, as his mother, he said, knew something about it already.

Mrs Willders smiled and glanced at Frank.

"Which is to begin first?" she asked.

"What! do you know about it, too?" cried Willie, turning to his brother.

"_Know_ about what?" said Frank. "You have not told me what it is; how
can I answer you?"

"About Mr Auberly," said Willie.

Frank said that he knew nothing new or peculiar about _him_, except that
he was--no, he wouldn't say anything bad of him, for he must be a
miserable man at that time.

"But out with your news, Willie," he added, "mine will keep; and as
yours is, according to yourself, partly known already to my mother, it's
as well to finish off one subject before we begin to another."

"Oh, then, you have news, too, have you?" said Willie.

Frank nodded.

"Strange coincidence!" exclaimed Willie.

"Did you ever hear of a coincidence that was not strange, lad? Go on
with your news, else I'll begin before you."

Thus admonished, Willie began.

"Oh, mother, you're a nice deceiver; you're a sly old lady, ain't you?
and you sit there with a face as meek and sweet and smiling as if you
had never deceived anybody in all your life, not to speak of your two
sons. O, fy!"

As Mrs Willders still smiled and went on with her knitting serenely,
without vouchsafing a reply, Willie continued with an off-hand
air--"Well, then, I may as well tell you that I have just had an
interview with _Uncle_ Auberly--hallo! you seem surprised."

Mrs Willders was indeed surprised. Her serenity of aspect fled in an
instant.

"Oh, Willie, how comes it that you know? I'm sure I did not mean to
tell you. I promised I never would. I must have let it out
inadvertently, or when I was asleep."

"Make yourself quite easy, mother," said Willie; "I'll explain it all
presen