the management of everything into his own
hands. The greater part of the afternoon he was shut up in the library
with the lawyer, and when he found the boys in the dining-room, he
looked very grave and anxious, and even reproved Mr. Clair for amusing
the children by making caricatures, and illustrating some of their
story-books. No two people could be more unlike than those two uncles,
who would probably be the guardians of Edward and Bertie Rivers. Mr.
Gregory was a tall, portly gentleman, with grey hair and keen eager
eyes; his voice was loud, his manner always stern and abrupt. People
usually feared and respected him more than they loved him; he was always
very busy and fussy and important, and had an idea that nothing in
London would go on quite right without him. However, Mrs. Rivers had
been his only sister; the boys were her children, and he was their
nearest relative and natural protector. On his way down he had arranged
all his plans: the boys should go to school, and he would let Riversdale
till Edward came of age; he knew some one in the City who was just in
want of such a place. Mr. Clair, on the other hand, thought very little
of the future; he was sorry to see the children look so sad, and did his
best to cheer them up; but then, every one said Mr. Clair was the most
unpractical person in the world. He was an artist by profession, and had
married Mr. Rivers' sister Amy, an offence for which he was never
pardoned, either by Mr. Rivers or Mr. Gregory. However, as the marriage
proved a very happy one, Mr. Clair did not fret about that, neither was
he in the least offended at the coldness and neglect of his wife's
relatives. He loved his profession, he loved his wife, he loved his
shabby roomy old house in Fitzroy Square: in fact, the chief
characteristic of Mr. Harry Clair was that he loved everything and
everybody, and now he was quite willing to take to his heart his wife's
orphan nephews and niece. But Uncle Gregory was made of sterner stuff,
and the young heir of Riversdale, he thought, was a person to be
reverenced and treated with deference; besides, he was not either very
affectionate or very demonstrative in his manner, therefore the
children, who were hungry for love and sympathy, turned to Uncle Clair.
The next day Aunt Amy arrived, and both the boys felt they had found a
true and loving friend, while Agnes clung to her, trembling and sobbing,
for since her uncle's death she had felt strangely alone