he gathering
of sapodillas for family consumption.

The rolling, moist, and guileless eye of the old man whose slightly
pained expression made it plain that he divined exactly what Hamil had
been thinking, set the young man laughing outright.

"Don't worry, uncle," he said; "they're not my sapodillas"; and he
walked toward the pomelo grove, the old man, a picture of outraged
innocence, looking after him, thoughtlessly biting into an enormous and
juicy specimen of the forbidden fruit as he looked.

There was a high fence of woven wire around the grove; through scented
vistas, spotted with sunshine, fruit and blossoms hung together amid
tender foliage of glossy green; palms and palmettos stood with broad
drooping fronds here and there among the citrus trees, and the brown
woody litter which covered the ground was all starred with fallen
flowers.

The gate was open, and as Hamil stepped in he met a well-built, active
man in white flannels coming out; and both halted abruptly.

"I am looking for Mr. Cardross," said the younger man.

"I am Mr. Cardross."

Hamil nodded. "I mean that I am looking for Mr. Cardross, senior--"

"I am Mr. Cardross, senior."

Hamil gazed at this active gentleman who could scarcely be the father of
married children; and yet, as he looked, the crisp, thick hair, the
clear sun-bronzed skin which had misled him might after all belong to
that type of young-old men less common in America than in England. And
Hamil also realised that his hair was silvered, not blond, and that
neither the hands nor the eyes of this man were the hands and eyes of
youth.

"I am Garret Hamil," he said.

"I recognise you perfectly. I supposed you older--until my daughter
showed me your picture in the _News_ two weeks ago!"

"I supposed _you_ older--until this minute."

"I _am_!"

Looking squarely into each other's faces they laughed and shook hands.

"When did you come, Mr. Hamil?"

"Last night from Nassau."

"Where are you stopping?"

Hamil told him.

"Your rooms are ready here. It's very good of you to come to see me at
once--"

"It's very good of you to want me--"

"Want you, man alive! Of course I want you! I'm all on edge over this
landscape scheme; I've done nothing since we arrived from the North but
ride over and over the place--and I've not half covered it yet. That's
the way we'll begin work, isn't it? Knock about together and get a
general idea of the country; isn't that the best way?"