or her care of the treasure which he
was seeking, and in good time for dinner.

"Well, dear," said Mrs. Brown to her husband when they were alone
that night, "did you ever see Tom in such spirits, and so gentle
and affectionate? Dear boy; there can be nothing the matter."

"Didn't I tell you so," replied Mr. Brown; "you women have always
got some nonsense in your heads as soon as your boys have a hair
on their chin or your girls begin to put up their back hair."

"Well, John, say what you will, I'm sure Mary Porter is a very
sweet, taking girl, and--"

"I am quite of the same opinion," said Mr. Brown, "and am very
glad you have written to ask them here."

And so the worthy couple went happily to bed.

CHAPTER XXXIII

BROWN PATRONUS

On a Saturday afternoon in August, a few weeks after the eventful
ride, Tom returned to the Englebourn Rectory to stay over Sunday,
and attend Betty Winburn's funeral. He was strangely attracted to
Harry by the remembrance of their old boyish rivalry; by the
story which he had heard from his cousin, of the unwavering
perseverance with which the young peasant clung to and pursued
his suit for Simon's daughter; but, more than all, by the feeling
of gratitude with which he remembered the effect his visit to
Betty's sick room had had on him, on the day of his ride from
Barton Manor. On that day he knew that he had ridden into
Englebourn in a miserable mental fog, and had ridden out of it in
sunshine, which had lasted through the intervening weeks. Somehow
or another he had been set straight then and there, turned into
the right road and out of the wrong one, at what he very
naturally believed to be the most critical moment of his life.

Without stopping to weigh accurately the respective merits of the
several persons whom he came in contact with that day, he
credited them all with a large amount of gratitude and good-will,
and Harry with his mother's share as well as his own. So he had
been longing to _do_ something for him ever since. The more he
rejoiced in, and gave himself up to his own new sensations, the
more did his gratitude become as it were a burden to him; and yet
no opportunity offered of letting off some of it in action. The
magistrates, taking into consideration the dangerous state of his
mother, had let Harry off with a reprimand for his assault; so
there was nothing to be done there. He wrote to Katie offering
more money for the Winburns; but she declined--adding