ert Coverdale, "that's your father who is coming. Let
him see that you are glad to meet him.

"Mr. Huet," he said, "this is your son."

"You do not need to tell me. He is too like his mother. Julian, my boy,
Heaven be praised that has restored you to me!"

It is hardly to be expected that Julian should feel the rapture that
swelled the father's heart, for the thought of having a father at all
was still new and strange, but it was not long before he learned to love
him.

The poor boy had received so little kindness that his father's warm
affection touched his heart, and he felt glad and happy to have such a
protector.

"God bless and reward you, Robert!" said Mr. Huet, taking the hand of
our hero. "You shall find that I am not ungrateful for this great
service. I want to talk to my boy alone for a time, but I will come to
your aunt's house to supper with Julian. Please tell her so, and ask her
to let it be a good one."

"I will, Mr. Huet."

From Julian his father drew the story of his years of hardship and ill
treatment, and his heart was stirred with indignation as he thought of
the cruelty of the relative who had subjected him and his son to that
long period of grief and suffering.

"Your trials are over now, Julian," he said. "You will be content to
live with me, will you not?"

"Will Robert live with us?" asked the boy.

"Do you like Robert?" asked his father.

"I love him like a brother," said Julian impulsively. "You don't know
how kind he has been to me, father!"

"Yes, Robert shall live with us, if he will," said Mr. Huet. "I will
speak about it to him tomorrow."

"Will you live here, father?"

"Oh, no! You must be educated. I shall take you to Boston or New York,
and there you shall have every advantage that money can procure.
Hitherto I have not cared to be rich. Now, Julian, I value money for
your sake."

Together they went to Mrs. Trafton's cottage to supper.

"What makes you look so sober, Robert?" asked Mr. Huet, observing that
the boy looked grave.

"I have heard that Mr. Jones will foreclose his mortgage to-morrow."

"Not if you pay it," said Mr. Huet quietly. "Come with me after supper,
and I will hand you all the money you require."

Robert was about to express his gratitude, but Mr. Huet stopped him.

"You owe me no thanks," he said. "It is only the first installment of a
great debt which I can never wholly repay."

CHAPTER XXXIII

THE LANDLORD'S DEFEAT

About ten