he stood to receive
his visitor. His movements were slow. His fair hair lay thin across his
forehead, and was touched above the ears with gray. His blue eyes were
very gentle, and had a way of looking long and steadily at what they
saw. A glance at his face left the impression that life, perhaps by no
very gentle means, had taught him patience.

'This letter will introduce me,' said Hyacinth; 'it is from your
brother, Captain, or Mr. Albert, Quinn.'

James Quinn took the letter, and turned it over slowly. Then, without
opening it, he laid it on the table in front of him. His eyes travelled
from it to Hyacinth's face, and rested there. It was some time before he
spoke, and then it was to correct Hyacinth upon a trivial point.

'My half-brother,' he said. 'My father married twice, and Albert is the
son of his second wife. You may have noticed that he is a great deal
younger than I am.'

'He looks younger, certainly,' said Hyacinth, for the other was waiting
for a reply.

'Nearly twenty years younger. Albert is only just thirty.'

The exact age of the Captain was uninteresting and seemed to be beside
the purpose of the visit. Hyacinth shifted his chair and fidgeted,
uncertain what to do or say next.

'Albert gave you this letter to me. Is he a friend of yours?'

'No.'

James Quinn looked at him again steadily. It seemed--but this may have
been fancy--that there was a kindlier expression in his eyes after the
emphatio repudiation of friendship with Albert. At length he took up the
letter, and read it through slowly.

'Why did my brother give you this letter?'

The question was a puzzling one. Hyacinth had never thought of trying
to understand the Captain's motives. Then the conversation in the hotel
recurred to him.

'He said that he wanted to do a good turn to me and to you also.'

'What had you done for him?'

'Nothing whatever.'

Apparently James Quinn was not in the least vexed at the brevity of
the answers he received, or disturbed because his cross-examination was
obviously disagreeable to Hyacinth.

'In this letter,' he went on, referring to the document as he spoke,
'he describes you as a young man who is "certainly honest, probably
religious, and possibly intelligent." I presume you know my brother, and
if you do, you may be surprised to hear that I am quite prepared to take
his word for all this. I have very seldom known Albert to tell me lies,
and I don't know why he should want to deceive me