arriage in the lot
she had always known, and on a little lower level in it that her own.
She said at last:

"I don't know what you mean by being a jay. But I guess we better not
say anything more about this to-night."

"All right," Jeff returned. There never were any formal good-nights
between the Durgins, and he went away now without further words.

His mother remained sitting where he left her. Two or three times she
drew her empty darning-needle through the heel of the stocking she was
mending.

She was still sitting there when Jackson passed on his way to bed, after
leaving the office in charge of the night porter. He faltered, as he
went by, and as he stood on the threshold she told him what Jeff had
told her.

"That's good," he said, lifelessly. "Good for Jeff," he added,
thoughtfully, conscientiously.

"Why a'n't it good for her, too?" demanded Jeff's mother, in quick
resentment of the slight put upon him.

"I didn't say it wa'n't," said Jackson. "But it's better for Jeff."

"She may be very glad to get him!"

"I presume she is. She's always cared for him, I guess. She'll know how
to manage him."

"I don't know," said Mrs. Durgin, "as I like to have you talk so,
about Jeff. He was here, just now, wantin' to give up his last year in
Harvard, so 's to let you go off on a vacation. He thinks you've worked
yourself down."

Jackson made no recognition of Jeff's professed self-sacrifice. "I don't
want any vacation. I'm feeling first-rate now. I guess that stuff I had
from the writin' medium has begun to take hold of me. I don't know when
I've felt so well. I believe I'm going to get stronger than ever I was.
Jeff say I needed a rest?"

Something like a smile of compassion for the delusion of his brother
dawned upon the sick man's wasted face, which was blotched with large
freckles, and stared with dim, large eyes from out a framework of
grayish hair, and grayish beard cut to the edges of the cheeks and chin.

XXIV.

Mrs. Durgin and Cynthia did not seek any formal meeting the next
morning. The course of their work brought them together, but it was not
till after they had transacted several household affairs of pressing
importance that Mrs. Durgin asked: "What's this about you and Jeff?"

"Has he been telling you?" asked Cynthia, in her turn, though she knew
he had.

"Yes," said Mrs. Durgin, with a certain dryness, which was half
humorous. "I presume, if you two are satisfied, it's all right."