Brooding. I:

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cleared away, my master said, “Reuben, he is
letting his mind dwell on these matters without an
effort to prevent it: this should not be.”

“T cannot help it, sir,” said I.

“He must help it,” he replied.

To this ] answered nothing, and Mr. Hurst sat
looking musingly out at the sea, with his Italian
newspaper lying unheeded before him. At last he
said, but without looking back into the room,
“ Long ago, when IJ told him of my childhood and
early school-days, he begged to hear more, and I
refused, saying that perhaps I might tell it him
some day, not then. Would he like to hear now
the history of my youth ?”

“Oh yes, sir, if you please,” I exclaimed, for it
had long been my great desire to know more of my
master’s life,