bid his sisters welcome.

Paul was happy and content enough to be in the mood to like anybody and
everybody, and an inward suggestion that he was not favourably
impressed with brother George presented itself only to be discounted and
ignominiously turned out of doors at once. As Tennyson has said, 'It is
not true that second thoughts are best, but first and third, which are
a riper first.' Brother George was undeniably good-looking after his
fashion. He was well set up and a little over the middle height. He was
very perfectly groomed, and had very fine, regular, white teeth which he
was a little too fond of showing in a rather mechanical smile. His eyes
were rather too closely set either for beauty or for character, and his
manner was a trifle over-suave.

Bill, who had been promoted after her own desires, fell upon him like
an avalanche, and being at first unrecognised in her aspect of grown-up
young lady, embarrassed brother George considerably. But there was such
a laugh at this as set all four in high spirits, and there were so many
questions and answers that the time of waiting for the train passed in a
flash.

The quartette lunched together at a restaurant in town, and brother
George carried off his sisters to the apartments he had secured for them
in the house in which he lodged. But before he went a little episode,
which was afterwards renewed in various forms until it grew monotonous,
occurred. Brother George naturally played the host at the restaurant,
and spread a generous and delicate feast, but on the presentation of the
bill was struck through with chagrin at the discovery that he had lost
his purse. That he had brought it from home was beyond cavil in his
mind, for had he not paid his cab-fare and the other expenses from it?
It was an awkward beginning of an acquaintance, as he allowed with
an embarrassed smile, but if Mr. Armstrong would be his banker for a
day---- Mr. Armstrong was happy enough to be willing to be any man's
banker at that moment, and brother George borrowed a ten-pound note
with many expressions of regret and obligation. He forgot this little
transaction so completely, that it was not so much as mentioned for a
year or two; but brother George gave clear proof later on that he was
not the man to leave unworked any social patch which at the first stroke
of the hoe would yield so promising a little harvest, and first and last
quite a handsome income in a small way accrued to brother Ge