“‘Old women,’ indeed!  Not so very much older than yourself, Mr. Herman Brudenell—­if it comes to that!  But anyways, if Reuben don’t see as I am old, you needn’t hit me in the teeth with it!” snapped Mrs. Gray.

“Hannah, Hannah, what a temper you have got, to be sure!  It is well Reuben is as patient as Job.”

“It is enough to rouse any woman’s temper to be called old to her very face!”

“So it is, Hannah; I admit it, and beg your pardon.  But nothing was farther from my thoughts than to offend you.  I feel old myself—­very old, and so I naturally think of the companions of my youth as old also.  And now, will you talk to me about my son?”

“Well, yes, I will,” answered Hannah, and her tongue being loosened upon the subject, she gave Mr. Brudenell all the incidents and anecdotes with which the reader is already acquainted, and a great many more with which I could not cumber this story.

While she was still “gossiping,” and Herman all attention, steps were heard without, and the door opened, and Reuben Gray entered, smiling and radiant, and leading two robust children—­a boy and a girl—­each with a little basket of early fruit in hand.

On seeing a stranger Reuben Gray took off his hat, and the children stopped short, put their fingers in their mouths and stared.

“Reuben, have you forgotten our old landlord, Mr. Herman Brudenell?” inquired Hannah.

“Why, law, so it is!  I’m main glad to see you, sir!  I hope I find you well!” exclaimed Reuben, beaming all over with welcome, as Mr. Brudenell arose and shook hands with him, replying: 

“Quite well, and very happy to see you, Gray.”

“John and Mary, where are your manners?  Take your fingers out of your mouths this minute,—­I’m quite ashamed of you!—­and bow to the gentleman,” said Hannah, admonishing her offspring.

“Whose fine children are these?” inquired Mr. Brudenell, drawing the shy little ones to him.

Reuben’s honest face glowed all over with pride and joy as he answered: 

“They are ours, sir! they are indeed! though you mightn’t think it, to look at them and us!  And Ishmael—­that is our nephew, sir—­and though he is now Mr. Worth, and a splendid lawyer, he won’t turn agin his plain kin, nor hear to our calling of him anythink else but Ishmael; and after making his great speech yesterday, actilly walked right out’n the courtroom, afore all the people, arm in arm long o’ Hannah!—­Ishmael, as I was a-saying, tells me as how this boy, John, have got a good head, and would make a fine scollard, and how, by-and-by, he means to take him for a stoodient, and make a lawyer on him.  And as for the girl, sir—­why, law! look at her! you can see for yourself, sir, as she will have all her mother’s beauty.”

And Reuben, with a broad, brown hand laid benignantly upon each little head, smiled down upon the children of his age with all the glowing effulgence of an autumnal noonday sun shining down upon the late flowers.