h
that little dusty feet must needs do damage, and appear intruders; nor
be made to feel all day that somebody was disturbed if somebody else was
making himself happy according to his lights, and in his own fashion.

But of late Mr. Augustus Mortimer had begun to show a degree of
infirmity which sometimes made his son uncomfortable that he should have
to live alone. To bring those joyous urchins and little, laughing,
dancing, playful girls into his house was not to be thought of. What was
wanted was some young relative to live with him, who would drive him
into the town and home again, dine with him, live in his presence, and
make his house cheerful. In short, as John thought the matter over, he
perceived that it would be a very good thing for his father to have
Valentine as an inmate, and that it would be everything to Valentine to
be with his father.

People always seemed to manage comfortable homes for Valentine, and make
good arrangements for him, as fast as he brought previous ones to
nought.

Very few sons like to bring other people into their fathers' houses,
specially in the old age of the latter; but John Mortimer was not only
confident of his own supreme influence, but he was more than commonly
attached to his father, and had long been made to feel that on his own
insight and forethought depended almost all that gave the old man
pleasure.

His father seldom disturbed any existing arrangements, though he often
found comfort from their being altered for him; so John decided to
propose to him to have his brother's son to live with him. In a few
days, therefore, he wrote to Valentine that he had made up his mind, and
would speak to his father for him, which he did, and saw that the
nephew's wish gave decided pleasure; but when he made his other proposal
he was quite surprised (well as he knew his father) at the gladness it
excited, at those thanks to himself for having thought of such a thing,
and at certain little half-expressed hints which seemed intended to meet
and answer any future thoughts his son might entertain as to Valentine's
obtaining more influence than he would approve. But John was seldom
surprised by an after-thought; he was almost always happy enough to have
done his thinking beforehand.

He was in the act of writing a letter to Valentine the next morning at
his own house, and was there laying the whole plan before him, when he
saw him driving rapidly up to the door in the little pony chaise