ed with memories for him, but occupied now by one desolate old man,
before the door was closed, and he was left without.

"Why, it's little Phebe Marlowe!" cried Mr. Clifford gladly, looking
round at the light sound of a footstep, very different from Mrs. Nixey's
heavy tread; "my dear child, you can't tell what a pleasure this is to
me."

He had risen up, and stood holding both her hands and looking fondly
into her face.

"This moment I was thinking of you, my dear," he said; "I was inditing a
long letter to you in my head, which these lazy old fingers of mine
would have refused to write. Sandon, the bookseller, has been in here,
bringing these books; and he told me a queer story enough. He says that
in August last a relation of Madame Sefton's was here, in Riversborough;
and told him who he was, in his shop, where he bought one of Felicita's
books. Why didn't Sandon come here at once and tell us then, so that you
could have found him out, Phebe? You and Felix and Hilda were here. He
was a poor man, and seemed badly off; and I guess he came to inquire
after Madame. Sandon says he reminded him of Roland--poor Roland! Why,
I'd have given the poor fellow a welcome for the sake of that
resemblance; and I was just thinking how Phebe's tender heart would have
been touched by even so faint a likeness."

"Yes," she murmured.

"And we could have lifted him up a little; quite a poor man, Sandon
says," continued Mr. Clifford; "but sit down, my dear. There is no one
in the wide world would be so welcome to me as little Phebe Marlowe, who
refused to be my adopted daughter."

He had drawn a chair close beside his own, for he would not loose her
hand, but kept it closely grasped by his thin and crooked fingers.

"You have altogether forgiven Roland?" she said tremulously.

"Altogether, my dear," he answered.

"As Christ forgives us, bearing away our sins Himself?" she said.

"As Christ forgave us," he replied, bowing his head solemnly.

"And if it was possible--think it possible," she went on, "that he could
come back again, that the grave in Engelberg could give up its dead, he
would be welcome to you?"

"If my old friend Sefton's son, could come back again," he said, "he
would be more welcome to me than you are, Phebe. How often do I fancy
him sitting yonder in Sefton's chair, watching me with his dear eyes!"

"But suppose he had deceived us all," she continued, "if he had escaped
from your anger by another fraud; a w