h of
their society rather bored him.

When she heard the cab-wheels crunching the gravel, Beatrice Forsyth ran
out without a hat, and Harry seeing her, opened the door and "quitted
the vehicle while yet in motion," as the railway notices have it,
whereby he nearly came a cropper, but recovered his balance, and was
immediately fitted with a live necklace. Beatrice was a slight, fair,
blue-eyed, curly-haired girl of fifteen; so light and springy that her
brother carried her, without an effort, to the hall steps, where, being
set down, she sprang into the cab and began collecting the smaller
packages, rug, umbrella, and other articles, inside it, while Harry
hugged his mother in the hall.

"Your father will be home by four," said Mrs Forsyth, when the first
greetings and inquiries as to health were over.

"And Haroun Alraschid has taken possession of his study," added Trix,
with a sort of awe.

"Haroun, how much?" asked Harry.

"Don't be absurd, Trix!" said Mrs Forsyth. "It is only your uncle,
Ralph Burke."

"Burke, that was your name, mother; this uncle was your brother then?"

"Of course, Harry. Have you never heard me speak of your uncle Ralph?"

"Now you mention it, yes, mother. But I had a sort of idea that he was
dead."

"So we thought him for some time," said Mrs Forsyth, "for he left the
Indian Civil Service, in which he had a good appointment, and
disappeared for years. He met with disappointments, and had a
sunstroke, and went to live with wild men in the desert, and, I believe,
has taken up with some strange religious notions. In fact, I fear that
he is not quite right in his head. But he talks sensibly about things
too, and seems to wish to be kind. We were very fond of one another
when we were children, and he seems to remember it in spite of all he
has gone through."

"I am frightened to death at him," said Trix. "I know he has a large
cupboard at home with the heads of all the wives he has decapitated
hanging up in a row by the back hair!"

"I wonder at your talking so foolishly, Beatrice. You must not be
prejudiced by what she says, Harry. Except your uncle in Ireland, he
has no other relatives, and he may be very well off; and he is quite
harmless."

"You know that you were afraid of him yourself, mamma, when he first
came."

"A little, perhaps, because I did not recognise him, and thought him
dead. And then, you know, I fear he is not quite orthodox. But go and
see him, Har