142 THEY ARE OFF.—THEY ARE MARRIED.

do you know,” added he in a more measured tone,
“* that—your father is here too 2?” |

Williams turned pale as death, and Reynolds attri-
buting this to shame regarding his father’s disgrace,
wished he only knew how to show his good and kind
intentions. “Iam sure, my dear fellow,” he began,
“if I were in your place, I would not let it trouble
me a bit; the world need not know anything about
it; and to make you quite at ease with me on the
subject, I will confess something to you. I too have
had sorrow in my family, and deeper sorrow than
yours, for here is your father come back, with time,
and opportunity, and willingness to retrieve his
character in life. My poor father, alas, had not time
hardly to repent. You and I are old friends; there
need be no secrets between us, though nobody else
need know about your poor father—nobody, indeed,
ever dreams that this is your father—nobody but Miss
Kendricks and myself.”

“* What, in the fiend’s name, does all this mean?”
demanded Williams, again assaulted on this fearful
subject from a quarter where he least expected it.

“What does it mean?” repeated Reynolds, quite
taken aback. ‘ Why, that your father is come back,
and that your sister is here, and that my aunt
Kendricks can see in her a strong likeness to your
mother.” .

Reynolds had never in his life before mentioned to
Williams suspicions of his parentage, and he now said,
“I’ve known it long, Williams, that Edwards was
your father, and it’s no use trying to impose upon
me ; nor really, if you knew me, would you think it
needful to try; so let us deal openly with one
another—here are your father and sister.”