Her attempt at changing the subject was successful.  Emily’s next question concerned Jedediah.

“What are you goin’ to do with him, Auntie?” she asked.  “He must stay here, mustn’t he?”

“Course he must.  I’ll never trust him out of my sight again.  He ain’t competent to take care of himself and so I’ll have to take care of him.  Well,” with a sigh, “it’ll only be natural, that’s all.  I’ve been used to takin’ care of somebody all my days.  I wonder how ’twould seem to have somebody take care of me for a change?  Not that there’s liable to be anybody doin’ it,” she added hastily.

“Jedediah might be useful to work about the place here,” said Emily.  “You will always need a hired man, you know.”

“Yes, but I don’t need two, and I couldn’t discharge Kenelm on Imogene’s account.  What that girl ever got engaged to that old image for is more’n I can make out or ever shall.”

Emily smiled.  “I shouldn’t worry about Imogene,” she said.  “I think she knows perfectly well what she is about.”

“Maybe so, but if she does, then her kind of knowledge is different from mine.  If I was goin’ to marry anybody in that family ’twould be Hannah; she’s the most man of the two.”

Imogene herself came down a few minutes later.  She was much surprised to find her mistress and Miss Howes dressed and in the kitchen.  Also she was very curious.

“Who’s that man,” she asked; “the one in the next room to mine, up attic?  Is he a new boarder?  He must have come awful late.  I heard you and him talkin’ in the middle of the night.  Who is he?”

When told the story of Jedediah’s return she was greatly excited.

“Why, it’s just like somethin’ in a story!” she cried.  “Long-lost folks are always comin’ back in stories.  And comin’ Christmas Eve makes it all the better.  Lordy—­There, I ain’t said that for weeks and weeks!  Excuse me, Mrs. Thankful.  I won’t say it again.  But—­but what are we goin’ to do with him?  Is he goin’ to stay here for good?”

Thankful answered that she supposed he was, he had no other place to stay.

“Is he rich?  He ought to be.  Folks in stories always come home rich after they’ve run off.”

“Well, this one didn’t.  He missed connections, somehow.  Rich!  No,” drily, “he ain’t rich.”

“Well, what will he do?  Will we have to take care of him—­free, I mean?  Excuse me for buttin’ in, ma’am, but it does seem as if we had enough on our hands without takin’ another free boarder.”

Thankful went into the dining-room.  Emily, when the question was repeated to her, suggested that, possibly, Jedediah might work about the place, take care of the live-stock and of the garden, when there was one.

Imogene reflected.  “Hum!” she mused.  “We don’t need two hired hands, that’s a sure thing.  You mean he’ll take Kenelm’s job?”

“That isn’t settled, so you mustn’t speak of it.  I know my cousin will be very sorry to let Kenelm go, largely on your account, Imogene.”