that He would be her confidence to the end.

Towards the end of April, they had a visit from a gentleman, who
announced himself as Mr Caldwell, senior clerk in the bank where David
was to be junior. He had come to transact business at the quarries,
several miles beyond Gourlay, and had called at the request of Mr
Oswald, and also because he wished to make the acquaintance of the
Inglis family, especially of David, whom he expected soon to have under
his immediate care. He had known Mr Inglis when he was a boy, having
been then in the employment of his uncle. The children had heard of him
often, and their mother had seen him more than once in the earlier years
of her married life, and they were not long in becoming friendly. He
was a small, dark man, slow of speech, and with some amusing
peculiarities of manner, but, evidently, kindly-disposed toward them
all.

His first intention had been to go on to the quarries that night, but he
changed his mind before he had been long in the house, and accepted Mrs
Inglis's invitation to stay to tea; and soon, to her own surprise, the
mother found herself telling their plans to a very attentive listener.
He looked grave, when he heard of their determination to leave Gourlay,
and go and live in Singleton.

It was a warm, bright afternoon, and they were sitting on the gallery in
front of the house. The snow was nearly all gone; a soft green was just
beginning to make itself visible over the fields and along the
roadsides, and buds, purple and green and brown, were showing themselves
on the door-yard trees. The boys were amusing themselves by putting in
order the walks and flower-borders in the garden, where there were
already many budding things, and the whole scene was a very pleasant one
to look on.

"Singleton is very different from this place," said he. "You will never
like to live there."

But there are many things that people must endure when they cannot like
them; and there seemed to be no better way, as he acknowledged, when he
had heard all. He entered with kindly interest into all their plans,
and it was arranged that, when David went to Singleton, he should go
directly to his house, and, between them, no doubt, a suitable house for
the family would be found. And Mrs Inglis thanked God for the new
friend He had raised up for them, and took courage.

The next day, Mr Caldwell went to the quarries, and David and Jem went
with him, or rather, it should be said,