‘There’s a strange man with papa,’ said Jane, as she returned.

‘There are always strange men with papa,’ said Fanny.  ’I daresay he has come to have his tooth out.’  For the doctor’s practice was altogether general.  From a baby to a back-tooth, he attended to everything now, as he had done forty years ago.

’But this man isn’t like a patient.  The door was half open, and I saw papa holding him by both hands.’

‘A lunatic!’ exclaimed Mrs. Rewble, thinking that Mr. Rewble ought to be sent at once to her father’s assistance.

’He was quite quiet, and just for a moment I could see papa’s face.  It wasn’t a patient at all.  Oh, Maria!’

‘What is it, child?’ asked Mrs. Rewble.

‘I do believe that Dick has come back.’

They all jumped up from their seats suddenly.  Then Mrs. Rewble reseated herself.  ‘Jane is such a fool!’ she said.

‘I do believe it,’ said Jane.  ’He had yellow trousers on, as if he had come from a long way off.  And I’m sure papa was very glad,—­why should he take both his hands?’

‘I feel as though my legs were sinking under me,’ said Maria.

‘I don’t think it possible for a moment,’ said Mrs. Rewble.  ’Maria, you are so romantic!  You would believe anything.’

‘It is possible,’ said Mrs. Posttlethwaite.

‘If you will remain here, I will go into the house and inquire,’ said Mrs. Rewble.  But it did not suit the others to remain there.  For a moment the suggestion had been so awful that they had not dared to stir; but when the elder sister slowly moved towards the door which led into the house from the garden, they all followed her.  Then suddenly they heard a scream, which they knew to come from their mother.  ’I believe it is Dick,’ said Mrs. Rewble, standing in the doorway so as to detain the others.  ‘What ought we to do?’

‘Let me go in,’ said Jane, impetuously.  ‘He is my brother.’

Maria was already dissolved in tears.  Mrs. Posttlethwaite was struck dumb by the awfulness of the occasion, and clung fast to her sister Matilda.

‘It will be like one from the grave,’ said Mrs. Rewble, solemnly.

‘Let me go in,’ repeated Jane, impetuously.  Then she pushed by her sisters, and was the first to enter the house.  They all followed her into the hall, and there they found their mother supported in the arms of the man who wore the yellow trousers.  Dick Shand had in truth returned to his father’s house.

The first thing to do with a returned prodigal is to kiss him, and the next to feed him; and therefore Dick was led away at once to the table on the lawn.  But he gave no sign of requiring the immediate slaughter of a fatted calf.  Though he had not exactly the appearance of a well-to-do English gentleman, he did not seem to be in want.  The yellow trousers were of strong material, and in good order, made of that colour for colonial use, probably with the idea of