from her?"

"That is the worst risk of the two. I have seen great harm done in that
way. Mention it, but without seeming to make too much of it."

"Won't you, papa?"

"You had better--it will seem of less importance. I think nothing of it
myself."

Nevertheless, Ethel saw that he could not trust himself to broach the
subject to Margaret.

"How was the Larkins' baby?"

"Doing better. What have you done with Spencer?"

"I put him into Richard's room. The children were eating him up! He is
so kind to them."

"Ay! I say, Ethel, that was a happy consequence of your coming home with
me."

"What a delightful person he is!"

"Is he not? A true knight errant, as he always was! I could not tell you
what I owed to him as a boy--all my life, I may say. Ethel," he added
suddenly: "we must do our best to make him happy here. I know it now--I
never guessed it then, but one is very hard and selfish when one is
happy--"

"What do you mean, papa?"

"I see it now," continued Dr. May incoherently; "the cause of his
wandering life--advantages thrown aside. He! the most worthy. Things
I little heeded at the time have come back on me! I understand why he
banished himself!"

"Why?" asked Ethel bewildered.

"She never had an idea of it; but I might have guessed from what fell
from him unconsciously, for not a word would he have said--nor did he
say, to show how he sacrificed himself!"

"Who was it? Aunt Flora?" said Ethel, beginning to collect his meaning.

"No, Ethel, it was your own dear mother! You will think this another
romantic fancy of mine, but I am sure of it."

"So am I," said Ethel.

"How--what? Ah! I remembered after we parted that he might know
nothing--"

"He asked me," said Ethel.

"And how did he bear it?"

Ethel told, and the tears filled her father's eyes.

"It was wrong and cruel in me to bring him home unprepared! and then to
leave it to you. I always forget other people's feelings. Poor Spencer!
And now, Ethel, you see what manner of man we have here, and how we
ought to treat him."

"Indeed I do!"

"The most unselfish--the most self-sacrificing--" continued Dr. May.
"And to see what it all turned on! I happened to have this place open to
me--the very cause, perhaps, of my having taken things easy--and so the
old Professor threw opportunities in my way; while Aubrey Spencer, with
every recommendation that man could have, was set aside, and exiled
himself, leaving the station, and all he mi