you were after I had seen you
in the road that day."

"I'm not in the least dangerous," said Mr. Toms. "You needn't be
afraid. Certain things seem odd to me that don't seem odd to other
people--that's all."

"The fact is, Mrs. Trenchard," said Miss Toms, speaking very fast and
flushing as she spoke, "that we are very happy by ourselves, my brother
and I. He is the greatest friend I have in the world, and I am his. We
are quite sufficient for one another. I don't want to seem rude, and
it's kind of you to have come, but it's better to leave us alone--it is
indeed."

"Well, I don't know," bald Maggie, smiling. "You see, I'm a little
queer myself--at least I think that most of the people here are coming
to that conclusion. I'm sure I'm more queer than your brother. At any
rate I can't do you any harm, and we may as well give it a trial,
mayn't we?"

Mr. Toms clapped his hands with so sudden a noise that Maggie jumped.

"That's right," he said. "That's the way I like to hear people talk.
You shall judge for yourself, and WE'LL judge for ourselves." His voice
was very soft and pleasant. The only thing at all strange about him was
his smile, that came and went like the ripple of firelight on the wall.
"You'd like to know all about us, wouldn't you? Well, until ten years
ago I was selling corn in the City. Such a waste of time! But I took it
very seriously then and worked, worked, worked. I worked too hard, you
know, much too hard, and then I was ill--ill for a long time. When I
was better corn didn't seem to be of any importance, and people thought
that very odd of me. I was confused sometimes and called people by
their wrong names, and sometimes I said what was in my head instead of
saying what was in my stomach. Every one thought it very odd, and if my
dear sister hadn't come to the rescue they would have locked me
up--they would indeed!"

"Shut me up and never let me walk about--all because I didn't care for
corn any more."

He laughed his little chuckling laugh. "But we beat them, didn't we,
Dorothy? Yes, we did--and here we are! Now, you tell us your history."

Miss Toms had been watching Maggie's face intently while her brother
spoke, and the clear steady candour of Maggie's eyes and her calm
acceptance of all that the little man said must have been reassuring.

"Now. Jim," she said, "don't bother Mrs. Trenchard. You can't expect
her to tell us her history when she's calling for the first time."

"Why not e