‘But the hall is a pleasant place,’ I said; and indeed it was so to me, I hardly know why, being a very plain apartment, with a checkered pavement of blue and white stones, and furnished only with bright oaken tables and settles, and a great chair or two; also the great fireplace was well garnished with green boughs and flowers, it being summer.  I looked all about it that evening as we sat in it chatting with our aunt, and was thinking I should always like it, plain as it was, when I was aware of two persons coming into the porch, one walking feebly like an old man, and one stepping firmly and strongly; and Mrs. Golding, springing up, ran forward to greet them, saying,—­

’Welcome! welcome, good Mr. Truelocke! this is a greater kindness than I had hoped for;’ so she drew into the light of our candles a reverend old gentleman, clad in a black gown; he had white hair hanging about his face, and in his hand a stout staff on which he leaned as he walked.  There came at his side a young, strongly-framed man, in a seaman’s habit, who, I thought, looked something like him, having the same strong features, but a clear, merry blue eye and brown curling hair; he was very watchful over the old gentleman, who seemed to move feebly.  Our aunt greeted him kindly by the name of ‘Master Harry,’ and said, ’It’s good of you to bring your father up so soon to welcome me,’ whereon the young man smiled and said,—­

’Nay, it is he that hath brought me; there was no holding him when he had heard of your return.  I would gladly have kept him within doors, fearing the night damps for him;’ and our aunt laughed also, and said to us,—­

’Come, Althea, come, Lucy, and speak to my best friend, who was a good friend to your mother also; it is the parson of this parish, Mr. Truelocke, and this his son Harry, newly come home from the seas;’ so we came up and greeted the old gentleman reverently, and his son as kindly as we might; and Mrs. Golding put Mr. Truelocke into a great armed chair, and sat looking at him with vast contentment.  He looked at her and smiled a wonderfully sweet smile.

’Had you brought these young maids home a month or two later, Mrs. Golding,’ says he, ’you could not truly tell them I was the parson of this parish or of any other.  But we’ll let that pass;’ and turning to us he began to speak to us kindly and fatherly, pitying our afflictions, and bidding us praise and thank God, who had raised up so good a friend to help us.  I was glad to hear his words, though they brought the tears into mine eyes; but our aunt sat impatiently, and presently broke in on his discourse, saying,—­

’What mean you, sir, by telling me in a month or two you will be no parson of this parish? is there anything new?’

’Nothing, but the falling of a full-ripe fruit, that began to blossom two years agone,’ says the old gentleman cheerfully; ’it hath been long a-ripening, ‘twas time it should fall.’

‘Give me none of your parables, good friend; I want plain speech,’ cries our aunt; and Master Harry said bluntly,—­