f the sun from his bee-skeps; and had granted
him a private entrance through it to the park--a narrow wooden door
approached by a miniature bridge across the stream.

"Papa!" called Isabel.

I heard a movement in the summer-house, and her father appeared in
the doorway. He was old, but held himself so erect that his head
almost touched the lintel of the summer-house door, the posts of
which he gripped and so stood framed--a giant of close upon six and a
half feet in stature. He wore a brown holland suit, with grey
stockings and square-toed shoes; and at first I mistook him for a
Quaker. His snow-white hair was gathered back from his temples,
giving salience to a face of ineffable simplicity and goodness--the
face of a man at peace with God and all the world, yet touched with
the scars of bygone passions.

"Papa, this is Harry Revel."

He bowed with ceremony, a little wide of me. I saw then that his
eyes were sightless.

"I am happy to make your acquaintance, young sir. My daughter
informs me that you are in trouble."

"He has promised to tell me all about it," Isabel put in. "We need
not bother him with questions just now."

"Assuredly not," he agreed. "Well, if you will, my lad, tell it to
Isabel. What is your age? Barely fourteen? Troubles at that age
are not often incurable. Only whatever you do--and you will pardon
an old man for suggesting it--tell the whole truth. When a man,
though he be much older than you and his case more serious than yours
can possibly be--when a man once brings himself to make a clean
breast of it, the odds are on his salvation. Take my word for that,
and a wiser man's--By the way, do you understand Latin?"

"No, sir."

"I am sorry to hear it. But perhaps you play the drum?"

"I--I have never tried, sir."

"Dear, dear, this is unfortunate: but at least you can serve me by
leading me round the garden and telling me where the several flowers
grow, and how they come on. That will be something."

"I will try, sir: but indeed I can hardly tell one flower from
another."

At this his face fell again. "Do you, by chance, know a bee when you
see one?"

"A bee? Oh yes, sir."

"Come, we have touched bottom at length! Do you understand bees?
Can you handle them?"

Here Isabel, seeing my chapfallen face, interposed.

"And if he does not, papa, you will have the pleasure of teaching
him."

"Very true, my dear. You must excuse me"--here Major Brooks turned
as i