n, and what had happened to him. And Heriot
heard it without comment. And in the evening, when Lionel and Hugh
returned, they had nothing to say to Heriot, nor he to them; and it
seemed to Hobb that this was because these three everything was
understood.

It was a lonely June for Hobb, with his eldest brother away, and the
three others spending all their days beside their strange possessions,
which brought them no tittle of joy; and had it not been for his garden
he would have felt utterly bereft. Yet here too failure sat heavily on
his heart; for an many a night he saw upon his bush a bud that promised
perfection to come, and in the morning it hung dead and rotten on its
stem.

So the month wore on, and Hobb began to feel that the Burgh, where now
his brothers only came to sleep, was a dead shell, too desolate to
inhabit if Ambrose did not soon return. And he was impelled to go in
search of him, yet decided to remain until Ambrose's birthday had
dawned, for had not their birthdays brought his three youngest brothers
home? And it might be so with Ambrose. And so it was.

For on the first of July, before going to his garden, he stayed at
Heriot's barn to try to induce him to leave his peacocks for once, and
spend the day with him in search of Ambrose; but Heriot, who was
feeding his fowl, never looked up, and said sadly, "What need to seek
Ambrose to-day? Ambrose has returned."

"Have you seen him?" cried Hobb joyfully.

"Early this morning," said Heriot.

"Where?"

"Down yonder in Poverty Bottom," said Heriot, pointing south of his
barn to a hollow that went by that name. For there was a dismal
habitation that had fallen into decay, a skeleton of a hut with only
two rotting walls, and a riddled thatch for a roof. And it was worse
than no habitation at all, for what might have been a green and lovely
vale was made desolate and rank with disused things, rusting among the
lumber of bricks and nettles. It was enough to have been there once
never to go again. And Hobb had been there once.

But now, at Heriot's tidings, he ran down the hill a second time as
though it led to Paradise, calling Ambrose as he went. And getting no
answer he began to fear that either Heriot was mistaken, or Ambrose had
gone away. His fears were unfounded, for coming to the Bottom he found
Ambrose; yet he had to look twice to make sure it was he. For he was
dressed only in rags, and less in rags than nakedness; and his skin was
dirty and