ld us anything about him yet."

Guy half smiled. "I will by and by. It's a long story. Just now I
don't want to think of anybody or anything except my mother."

He turned, as he did twenty times a day, to press his rough cheek upon
her hand and look up into her thin face, his eyes overflowing with love.

"You must get well now, mother. Promise!"

Her smile promised--and even began the fulfilment of the same.

"I think she looks stronger already--does she, Maud? You know her
looks better than I; I don't ever remember her being ill in old times.
Oh, mother, I will never leave you again--never!"

"No, my boy."

"No, Guy, no."--John came in, and stood watching them both contentedly.
"No, my son, you must never leave your mother."

"I will not leave either of you, father," said Guy, with a reverent
affection that must have gladdened the mother's heart to the very core.
Resigning his place by her, Guy took Maud's, facing them; and father
and son began to talk of various matters concerning their home and
business arrangements; taking counsel together, as father and son ought
to do. These eight years of separation seemed to have brought them
nearer together; the difference between them--in age, far less than
between most fathers and sons, had narrowed into a meeting-point.
Never in all his life had Guy been so deferent, so loving, to his
father. And with a peculiar trust and tenderness, John's heart turned
to his eldest son, the heir of his name, his successor at Enderley
Mills. For, in order that Guy might at once take his natural place,
and feel no longer a waif and stray upon the world, already a plan had
been started, that the firm of Halifax and Sons should become Halifax
Brothers. Perhaps, ere very long--only the mother said privately,
rather anxiously too, that she did not wish this part of the scheme to
be mentioned to Guy just now--perhaps, ere long it would be "Guy
Halifax, Esquire, of Beechwood;" and "the old people" at happy little
Longfield.

As yet Guy had seen nobody but ourselves, and nobody had seen Guy.
Though his mother gave various good reasons why he should not make his
public appearance as a "ship-wrecked mariner," costume and all, yet it
was easy to perceive that she looked forward not without apprehension
to some meetings which must necessarily soon occur, but to which Guy
made not the smallest allusion. He had asked, cursorily and generally,
after "all my brothers and sisters," and b