fling his arms about him and cry, "No, no, never, never," and
he himself would then answer, "My boy, my boy, you shall stay here,
you shall stay here," Michael Sunlocks, his heart swelling and his
eyes glistening with a great new pride and tenderness, said softly,
"Yes, yes--for a father like that I would cross the world."

Adam Fairbrother said not a word more. He blew out the candle that
shone on his face, sat down before the fire, and through three hours
thereafter smoked in silence.

The next day, being Monday, Greeba was sent on to Lague, that her
mother and brothers might see her after her long absence from the
island. She was to stay there until the Monday following, that she
might be at Ramsey to bid good-bye to Michael Sunlocks on the eve of
his departure for Iceland.

Three days more Michael spent at Government House, and on the
morning of Friday, being fully ready and his leather trunk gone on
before in care of Chalse A'Killey, who would suffer no one else to
carry it, he was mounted for his journey on the little roan Goldie
when up came the Governor astride his cob.

"I'll just set you as far as Ballasalla," he said, jauntily, and they
rode away together.

All the week through since their sad talk on Easter Day old Adam had
affected a wondrous cheerfulness, and now he laughed mightily as they
rode along, and winked his gray eyes knowingly like a happy child's,
until sometimes from one cause or other the big drops came into them.
The morning was fresh and sweet, with the earth full of gladness and
the air of song, though Michael Sunlocks was little touched by its
beauty and thought it the heaviest he had yet seen. But Adam told how
the spring was toward, and the lambs in fold, and the heifers
thriving, and how the April rain would bring potatoes down to
sixpence a kishen, and fetch up the grass in such a crop that the old
island would rise--why not? ha, ha, ha!--to the opulence and position
of a State.

But, rattle on as he would, he could neither banish the heavy looks
of Michael Sunlocks nor make light the weary heart he bore himself.
So he began to rally the lad, and say how little he would have
thought of a trip to Iceland in his old days at Guinea; that it was
only a hop, skip and a jump after all, and, bless his old soul, if
he wouldn't cut across some day to see him between Tynwald and
Midsummer--and many a true word was said in jest.

Soon they came by Rushen Abbey at Ballasalla, and then old