le. "No, no," they said in one voice. "No, only"--

"Only what?" asked Grey impatiently.

"Dad just hates him!"

"Like pizon," smiled Almira.

The young editor rose with a slight increase of color. "Look here," said
the girl, whose dimples had deepened as she keenly surveyed him, as
if detecting some amorous artifice under his show of interest for her
brother. "Dad's gone down to the sheepfold and won't be back for an
hour. Yo' might bring--YO' FRIEND--in."

"He ain't wantin' anything? Ain't dead broke? nor nothin', eh?"
suggested one of the brothers dubiously.

Grey hastened to assure them of Jim's absolute solvency, and even
enlarged considerably on his Australian fortune. They looked relieved
but not interested.

"Go and fetch him," said the witch, archly hovering near Grey with
dancing eyes; "and mind YO' come back, too!"

Grey hesitated a moment and then passed out in the dark porch. A
dripping figure emerged from the trees opposite. It was Jim.

"Your sister and brothers will see you," said Grey hastily, to avoid
embarrassing details. "HE won't be here for an hour. But I'd advise you
to make the most of your time, and get the good-will of your sister."
He would have drawn back to let the prodigal pass in alone, but the man
appealingly seized his arm, and Grey was obliged to re-enter with him.
He noticed, however, that he breathed hard.

They turned slightly towards their relative, but did not offer to
shake hands with him, nor did he with them. He sat down sideways on an
unoffered chair. "The old house got burnt!" he said, wiping his lips,
and then drying his wet hair with his handkerchief.

As the remark was addressed to no one in particular it was some seconds
before the elder brother replied: "Yes."

"Almira's growed."

Again no one felt called upon to answer, and Almira glanced archly at
the young editor as if he might have added: "and improved."

"You've done well?" returned one of the brothers tentatively.

"Yes, I'm all right," said Jim.

There was another speechless interval. Even the conversational Grey felt
under some unhallowed spell of silence that he could not break.

"I see the old well is there yet," said Jim, wiping his lips again.

"Where dad was once goin' to chuck you down for givin' him back talk,"
said the younger brother casually.

To Mr. Grey's relief and yet astonishment, Jim burst into a loud laugh
and rubbed his legs. "That's so--how old times DO come back!"

"And