so--I'm afraid so," murmured the mother mournfully.

"Oh, well," said the old man, without alarm, or grief, or pleasure in
his tone.

He turned the lamp's wick very low and carried the lamp to the head of
the stairs, where he perched it on the step. When he returned he said,
"She's mighty good-look-in'!"

"Well, that ain't everything," she snapped. "How do we know she ain't
proud, and selfish, and--everything?"

"How do you know she is?" returned the old man.

"And she may just be leading him on."

"Do him good, then," said he, with impregnable serenity. "Next time
he'll know better."

"Well, I'm worried about it," she said, as she sank back on the pillow
again. "I think William's changed a good deal. He don't seem to care
about--us--like he did."

"Oh, go to sleep!" said the father drowsily.

She was silent for a time, and then she said, "John?"

"What?"

"Do you think I better speak to him about that girl?"

"No."

She grew silent again, but at last she demanded, "Why not?"

"'Cause it's none of your business. Go to sleep, will you?" And
presently he did, but the old mother lay blinking wild-eyed into the
darkness.

In the morning Hawker did not appear at the early breakfast, eaten when
the blue glow of dawn shed its ghostly lights upon the valley. The old
mother placed various dishes on the back part of the stove. At ten
o'clock he came downstairs. His mother was sweeping busily in the
parlour at the time, but she saw him and ran to the back part of the
stove. She slid the various dishes on to the table. "Did you oversleep?"
she asked.

"Yes. I don't feel very well this morning," he said. He pulled his chair
close to the table and sat there staring.

She renewed her sweeping in the parlour. When she returned he sat still
staring undeviatingly at nothing.

"Why don't you eat your breakfast?" she said anxiously.

"I tell you, mother, I don't feel very well this morning," he answered
quite sharply.

"Well," she said meekly, "drink some coffee and you'll feel better."

Afterward he took his painting machinery and left the house. His younger
sister was at the well. She looked at him with a little smile and a
little sneer. "Going up to the inn this morning?" she said.

"I don't see how that concerns you, Mary?" he rejoined, with dignity.

"Oh, my!" she said airily.

"But since you are so interested, I don't mind telling you that I'm not
going up to the inn this morning."

His sister fixed