Matthew Kendrick’s eyes rested fondly again upon Richard’s smiling face.  “You rascal!” he sighed.  “You always did give me trouble about being up o’ nights!”

* * * * *

Richard Kendrick ran downstairs three steps at a bound.  At the bottom he met Judge Calvin Gray.  He seized the hand of his grandfather’s old-time friend and wrung it.  The expression of heavy sadness on the Judge’s face changed to one of bewilderment, and as he scanned the radiant countenance of Matthew Kendrick’s grandson he turned suddenly pale with joy.

“You don’t mean—­”

Then he comprehended that Richard was finding it as hard to speak good news as if it had been bad.  But in an instant the young man was in command of himself again.

“It wasn’t apoplexy—­it wasn’t paralysis—­it was only the shock of the fall and the bruises.  He’s been talking to me; he’s been twitting the doctor on having been fooled.  Oh, he’s as alive as possible, and I—­Judge Gray, I never was so happy in my life!”

With congratulations in his heart for his old friend on the possession of this young love which was as genuine as it was strong, the Judge said:  “Well, my dear fellow, let us thank God and breathe again.  This has been the darkest night I’ve spent in many a year—­and this is the brightest morning.”

Everybody in the house was presently rejoicing in the news.  But if Richard expected Roberta to be as generous with him in his joy as she had been in his grief he found himself disappointed.  She did not fail to express to him her sympathy with his relief, but she did it with reinforcements of her family at hand, and with Ruth’s arm about her waist.  She had trusted him when torn with anxiety; clearly she did not trust him now in the reaction from that anxiety.  He was in wild spirits, no doubt of that; she could see it in his brilliant eyes.

It still lacked six weeks of Midsummer.

CHAPTER XX

SIDE LIGHTS

Louis Gray sat in a capacious willow easy-chair beside the high white iron hospital bed upon which lay Hugh Benson, convalescing from his attack of fever.  “Pretty comfortable they make you here,” Louis observed, glancing about.  “I didn’t know their private rooms were as big and airy as this one.”

Benson smiled.  “I don’t imagine they all are.  I didn’t realize what sort of quarters I was in till I began to get better and mother told me.  According to her I have the best in the place.  That’s Rich.  Whatever he looks after is sure to be gilt-edged.  I wonder if you know what a prince of good fellows he is, anyway.”

“I always knew he was a good fellow,” Louis agreed.  “He has that reputation, you know—­kind-hearted and open-handed.  I should know he would be a substantial friend to his college classmate and business partner.”