e
cruelly brief, well-written announcement, and all the top-heavy aerial
erection his vanity had heaped up lay shattered around him. Poor boy!
shall we not pity him? From very childhood, though so silent and
undemonstrative, he had fed himself with extravagant visions and wild
speculations. All this had been merely an amusement, though an
unhealthy one. The dreamer had scarcely entertained the idea of his
dreams possibly proving true. But the train was laid for a future
explosion--the imagination was diseased, and so when the watchmaker's
letter came, all the shadowy fancies of the past seemed to be suddenly
transformed into substantial realities. He fancied ho had always
_known_ that which hitherto he had only amused himself by fancying.

The blow was sharp and decisive, and Jim felt he had brought it on
himself. Curiously enough, however, the sudden stinging pain acted as
a tonic stimulant. The lad summoned up all the latent manliness and
force of his character. He looked the thing in the face, and saw
clearly that he had played the fool. He knew that he would be laughed
at, and resolved to bear it like a man.

Next day came Mr. Smith's letter, and it was as balm to the wounded
spirit. Elsie also wrote a line to say she was glad not to be a lady,
and believed that he would get on all the better for not being a lord.

Thus it came to pass that when the Rev. Cooper Smith arrived at
Ballymena station, the first person he met was Jim McAravey.

"I do not know how to thank you, sir, for all the trouble you have
taken; I at least was not worthy of it. But I trust this piece of
folly has been enough for me. I hope I am wiser, but I shall strive
not to be sadder."

Mr. Smith was as much surprised as pleased at this change in the young
man's character, and he the more regretted having to tell the whole of
the narrative, which was sure to cause further pain to the lad.
However, it had to be done, and Jim, who was no coward, took it all
better than might have been expected.

"And so I am only Elsie's half-brother, at best--or shall I say at
_worst_?" said the poor lad, with trembling voice. "I'm afraid, sir, I
shall be terribly laughed at here, but I must bear it as best I can. I
have brought it on myself."

Elsie was profoundly thankful for the result of the investigation. As
she had said herself, she "did not feel like being a lady," and was
therefore glad to be delivered from what would have been, to h