own.' An' says I: 'Old
Jerusalem! If I ever have a little feller o' my own,' says I, 'this
world will have to spread to hold me.'"

Then Jim put his head down between his knees, and thought. When it
emerged from its hiding his eyes were moist, and he said:

"Ye must 'scuse me, Mr. Benedict, for ye know what the feelin's of a pa
is. It never come to me in this way afore."

Benedict could not help smiling at this new exhibition of sympathy; for
Jim, in the comprehension of his feelings in the possible event of
possessing offspring, had arrived at a more vivid sense of his
companion's bereavement.

"Now, I tell ye what it is," said Jim. "You an' me has got to be
brushin' round. We can't set here an' think about them that's gone; an'
now I want to tell ye 'bout another thing that Mr. Balfour said. Says
he: 'Jim, if ye're goin' to build a house, build a big one, an' keep a
hotel. I'll fill it all summer for ye,' says he. 'I know lots o' folks,'
says he, 'that would be glad to stay with ye, an' pay all ye axed 'em.
Build a big house,' says he, 'an' take yer time for't, an' when ye git
ready for company, let a feller know.' I tell ye, it made my eyes stick
out to think on't. 'Jim Fenton's hotel! says I. 'I don't b'lieve I can
swing it.' 'If ye want any more money'n ye've got,' says he, 'call on
me.'"

The idea of a hotel, with all its intrusions upon his privacy and all
its diversions, was not pleasant to Mr. Benedict; but he saw at once
that no woman worthy of Jim could be expected to be happy in the woods
entirely deprived of society. It would establish a quicker and more
regular line of communication with Sevenoaks, and thus make a change
from its life to that of the woods a smaller hardship. But the building
of a large house was a great enterprise for two men to undertake.

The first business was to draw a plan. In this work Mr. Benedict was
entirely at home. He could not only make plans of the two floors, but
an elevation of the front; and when, after two days of work, with
frequent questions and examinations by Jim, his drawings were concluded,
they held a long discussion over them. It was all very wonderful to Jim,
and all very satisfactory--at least, he said so; and yet he did not seem
to be entirely content.

"Tell me, Jim, just what the trouble is," said his architect, "for I see
there's something wanting."

"I don't see," said Jim, "jest where ye're goin' to put 'im."

"Who do you mean? Mr. Balfour?"