any
have been lost to me there! Ah, my hope was all wrecked long ago!"

Noll looked up quickly, with, "Papa lost to you, to me, Uncle Richard?
Oh, that is not true at all! Papa _lost_ to us?"

"Not to you, not to you, Noll, thank God!" Trafford replied; "but to
me,--yes! His faith he left to you,--I can see, I feel it; but I have
none."

Noll looked up to the sad-eyed, gloomy man, and fathomed the mystery
of his sorrow at once. Who would not be forever sad with nothing
beyond the grave but blank and darkness in which loved hearts were
alway vanishing?

"Oh, Uncle Richard," said he, "I'm sorry for you!"

"I don't deserve it," Trafford said, with unusual tenderness. "How can
you love such a man as myself? Oh, my boy, I've been harsh with you,
and cold and stern; go where you'll find some one that can care for
you better than I!"

But Noll's face suddenly grew bright. "I wouldn't do that," he said,
earnestly,--"never, Uncle Richard! Papa said I was to live with you
and love you, and I _will_, unless you wish me to go. And if you do
not, don't tell me to leave you again!"

"I will not, Noll," Trafford said.

So it was all settled, at last, and Noll's heart--in spite of Uncle
Richard's gloominess--was light and glad. He would stay and see if the
man's sorrow and wretchedness could not be driven away, he thought;
perhaps--who could tell?--he would lose his sternness, and become kind
and regardful, and follow in the path which papa had trod. It all
seemed very doubtful now, it was true, but such a thing _might_ be,
after a time.

"Yes," said Noll, as he thought of these things, "I would much rather
stay with you, Uncle Richard--always. And now shall we talk about
studies?"

"True, we were to consider that matter," said his uncle; "yet I had
little hope that you would stay, then. What do you study, Noll?"

"At Hastings I had arithmetic and geography and Latin. Then with papa
I studied history, and a little--a very little, Uncle Richard--in
mineralogy,--he liked that so, you know."

"And what do you propose to do here?" asked his uncle.

"I would like to do just the same," said Noll, "and keep up with my
class, perhaps."

"He has still some thoughts of returning?" Trafford wondered; then
said aloud, "Well, it shall be as you like. And when will you
commence?"

"At once, if you please, Uncle Richard. I've had such a long vacation
that it will seem good to get back to books once m