“Oh, drat Little Poll’s teeth!” cried Kate, the tears rolling uninterruptedly.

“Then why did you say that to me?” he demanded.

“Well, you said you ’only stopped to tell me that I needn’t go to Agatha’s,’” she explained.  “I had to say something, to get even with you!”

“Oh,” said Robert, and took possession.  Kate put her arms around his neck, drew his head against hers, and knew a minute of complete joy.

When Adam entered the house his mother was very busy.  She was mixing more biscuit dough, she was laughing like a girl of sixteen, she snatched out one of their finest tablecloths, and put on many extra dishes for supper, while Uncle Robert, looking like a different man, was helping her.  He was actually stirring the gravy, and getting the water, and setting up chairs.  And he was under high tension, too.  He was saying things of no moment, as if they were profound wisdom, and laughing hilariously at things that were scarcely worth a smile.  Adam looked on, and marvelled and all the while his irritation grew.  At last he saw a glance of understanding pass between them.  He could endure it no longer.

“Oh, you might as well say what you think,” he burst forth.  “You forgot to pull down the blinds.”

Both the brazen creatures laughed as if that were a fine joke.  They immediately threw off all reserve.  By the time the meal was finished, Adam was struggling to keep from saying the meanest things he could think of.  Also, he had to go to Milly, with nothing very definite to tell.  But when he came back, his mother was waiting for him.  She said at once:  “Adam, I’m very sorry the blind was up to-night.  I wanted to talk to you, and tell you myself, that the first real love for a man that I have ever known, is in my heart to-night.”

“Why, Mother!” said Adam.

“It’s true,” said Kate, quietly.  “You see Adam, the first time I ever saw Robert Gray, I knew, and he knew, that he had made a mistake in engaging himself to Nancy Ellen; but the thing was done, she was happy, we simply realized that we would have done better together, and let it go at that.  But all these years I have known that I could have made him a wife who would have come closer to his ideals than my sister, and she should have had the man who wanted to marry me.  They would have had a wonderful time together.”

“And where did my father come in?” asked Adam, quietly.

“He took advantage of my blackest hour,” said Kate.  “I married him when I positively didn’t care what happened to me.  The man I could have loved was married to my sister, the man I could have married and lived with in comfort to both of us was out of the question; it was in the Bates blood to marry about the time I did; I had seen only the very best of your father, and he was an attractive lover, not bad looking, not embarrassed with one single scruple —­ it’s the way of the world.  I took it.  I paid for it.  Only God knows how dearly I paid; but Adam, if you love me, stand by me now.  Let me have this eleventh hour happiness, with no alloy.  Anything I feel for your Uncle Robert has nothing in the world to do with my being your mother; with you being my son.  Kiss me, and tell me you’re glad, Adam.”