gravely. "He has two children I hear--a
boy and a girl. I should like to see her who was the little Aileen of
twenty years ago."

"I hope you may," said Father Honore cordially; "yes, he has two lovely
children, Honore, now in his first knickerbockers, is my namesake--"

Octavius interrupted him, smiling significantly:

"He's something more than Father Honore's namesake, Mr. Van Ostend, he's
his shadow when he is with him. The men have a little joke among
themselves whenever they see the two together, and that's pretty often;
they say Father Honore's shadow will never grow less till little Honore
reaches his full growth."

The priest smiled. "He and I are very, very close friends," was all he
permitted himself to say, but the other men read far more than that into
his words.

Henry Van Ostend looked thoughtful. He considered with himself for a few
minutes; then he spoke, weighing his words:

"I thank you both; I have solved my difficulty with your help. You have
spoken frankly to me, and shown me this matter in a different light; I
may speak as frankly to you, as to Mr. Googe's closest friends. The
truth is, neither my daughter nor myself can appropriate this money to
ourselves--we both feel that it does not belong to us, _in the
circumstances_. I should like you both to tell Mr. Googe for me, that
out of the funds accruing to the estate from his grandfather's money, I
will take for my share the hundred thousand dollars I repaid to the
Quarries Company thirteen years ago--you know what I mean--and the
interest on the same for those six years. Mr. Googe will understand that
this is done in settlement of a mere business account--and he will
understand it as between man and man. I think it will satisfy him.

"I have determined since talking with you, although the scheme has been
long in my mind and I have spoken to Mr. Emlie about it, to apply the
remainder of the estate for the benefit of the quarrymen, the
stone-cutters, their families and, incidentally, the city of Flamsted.
My plans are, of course, indefinite; I cannot give them in detail, not
having had time to think them out; but I may say that this house will be
eventually a home for men disabled in the quarries or sheds. The plan
will develop further in the executing of it. You, Father Honore, you and
Mr. Buzzby, Mr. Googe, and Mr. Emlie will be constituted a Board of
Overseers--I know that in your hands the work will be advanced, and, I
hope, prospered to