rother it wouldn't be
natural that you should like to throw him off. And, my dear, I like
you for taking his part. Only you needn't have been so fierce with an
old woman."

"Indeed--indeed I didn't mean to be--fierce, Aunt Stanbury."

"I never was taken up so short in my life. But we won't mind that.
There; he shall come and see you. I suppose he won't insist on
leaving any of his nastiness about."

"But is he to come here, Aunt Stanbury?"

"He may if he pleases."

"Oh, Aunt Stanbury!"

"When he was here last he generally had a pipe in his mouth, and I
dare say he never puts it down at all now. Those things grow upon
young people so fast. But if he could leave it on the door-step just
while he's here I should be obliged to him."

"But, dear aunt, couldn't I see him in the street?"

"Out in the street! No, my dear. All the world is not to know that
he's your brother; and he is dressed in such a rapscallion manner
that the people would think you were talking to a house-breaker."
Dorothy's face became again red as she heard this, and the angry
words were very nearly spoken. "The last time I saw him," continued
Miss Stanbury, "he had on a short, rough jacket, with enormous
buttons, and one of those flipperty-flopperty things on his head,
that the butcher-boys wear. And, oh, the smell of tobacco! As he had
been up in London I suppose he thought Exeter was no better than a
village, and he might do just as he pleased. But he knew that if
I'm particular about anything, it is about a gentleman's hat in
the streets. And he wanted me--me!--to walk with him across to Mrs.
MacHugh's! We should have been hooted about the Close like a pair of
mad dogs;--and so I told him."

"All the young men seem to dress like that now, Aunt Stanbury."

"No, they don't. Mr. Gibson doesn't dress like that."

"But he's a clergyman, Aunt Stanbury."

"Perhaps I'm an old fool. I dare say I am, and of course that's what
you mean. At any rate I'm too old to change, and I don't mean to try.
I like to see a difference between a gentleman and a house-breaker.
For the matter of that I'm told that there is a difference, and that
the house-breakers all look like gentlemen now. It may be proper to
make us all stand on our heads, with our legs sticking up in the air;
but I for one don't like being topsy-turvey, and I won't try it. When
is he to reach Exeter?"

"He is coming on Tuesday next, by the last train."

"Then you can't see him that night.