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leaf。 He honestly meant to do so； but； like many another repentant
sinner； found himself feeble before the difficulties of performance。
He might have succeeded better had it not been for her soft deep
eyes beneath her level brows。
〃You're not much like your mother；〃 so he explained to her one day；
〃except about the eyes。 Looking into your eyes I can almost see
your mother。〃
He was smoking a pipe beside the fire； and Ann； who ought to have
been in bed； had perched herself upon one of the arms of his chair
and was kicking a hole in the worn leather with her little heels。
〃She was very beautiful； my mother； wasn't she？〃 suggested Ann。
Abner Herrick blew a cloud from his pipe and watched carefully the
curling smoke。
〃In a way； yes；〃 he answered。 〃Quite beautiful。〃
〃What do you mean； 'In a way'？〃 demanded Ann with some asperity。
〃It was a spiritual beauty； your mother's；〃 Abner explained。 〃The
soul looking out of her eyes。 I don't think it possible to imagine
a more beautiful disposition than your mother's。 Whenever I think
of your mother；〃 continued Abner after a pause； 〃Wordsworth's lines
always come into my mind。〃
He murmured the quotation to himself； but loud enough to be heard by
sharp ears。 Miss Kavanagh was mollified。
〃You were in love with my mother； weren't you？〃 she questioned him
kindly。
〃Yes； I suppose I was；〃 mused Abner； still with his gaze upon the
curling smoke。
〃What do you mean by 'you suppose you were'？〃 snapped Ann。 〃Didn't
you know？〃
The tone recalled him from his dreams。
〃I was in love with your mother very much；〃 he corrected himself；
turning to her with a smile。
〃Then why didn't you marry her？〃 asked Ann。 〃Wouldn't she have
you？〃
〃I never asked her；〃 explained Abner。
〃Why not？〃 persisted Ann； returning to asperity。
He thought a moment。
〃You wouldn't understand；〃 he told her。
〃Yes； I would；〃 retorted Ann。
〃No； you wouldn't；〃 he contradicted her quite shortly。 They were
both beginning to lose patience with one another。 〃No woman ever
could。〃
〃I'm not a woman；〃 explained Ann； 〃and I'm very smart。 You've said
so yourself。〃
〃Not so smart as all that；〃 growled Abner。 〃Added to which； it's
time for you to go to bed。〃
Her anger with him was such that it rendered her absolutely polite。
It had that occasional effect upon her。 She slid from the arm of
his chair and stood beside him； a rigid figure of frozen femininity。
〃I think you are quite right； Uncle Herrick。 Good night！〃 But at
the door she could not resist a parting shot：
〃You might have been my father； and then perhaps she wouldn't have
died。 I think it was very wicked of you。〃
After she was gone Abner sat gazing into the fire； and his pipe went
out。 Eventually the beginnings of a smile stole to the corners of
his mouth； but before it could spread any farther he dismissed it
with a sigh。
Abner； for the next day or two； feared a renewal of the
conversation； but Ann appeared to have forgotten it； and as time
went by it faded from Abner's own memory。 Until one evening quite a
while later。
The morning had brought him his English mail。 It had been arriving
with some regularity； and Ann had noticed that Abner always opened
it before his other correspondence。 One letter he read through
twice； and Ann； who was pretending to be reading the newspaper； felt
that he was looking at her。
〃I have been thinking； my dear；〃 said Abner； 〃that it must be rather
lonely for you here； all by yourself。〃
〃It would be；〃 answered Ann； 〃if I were here all by myself。〃
〃I mean；〃 said Abner； 〃without any other young person to talk to
andand to play with。〃
〃You forget；〃 said Ann； 〃that I'm nearly thirteen。〃
〃God bless my soul；〃 said Abner。 〃How time does fly！〃
〃Who is she？〃 asked Ann。
〃It isn't a 'she；'〃 explained Abner。 〃It's a 'he。' Poor little chap
lost his mother two years ago； and now his father's dead。 I
thoughtit occurred to me we might put him up for a time。 Look
after him a bit。 What do you think？ It would make the house more
lively； wouldn't it？〃
〃It might；〃 said Ann。
She sat very silent； and Abner； whose conscience was troubling him；
watched her a little anxiously。 After a time she looked up。
〃What's he like？〃 she asked。
〃Precisely what I am wondering myself；〃 confessed Abner。 〃We shall
have to wait and see。 But his motherhis mother；〃 repeated Abner；
〃was the most beautiful woman I have ever known。 If he is anything
like she was as a girl〃 He left the sentence unfinished。
〃You have not seen her sincesince she was young？〃 questioned Ann。
Abner shook his head。 〃She married an Englishman。 He took her back
with him to London。〃
〃I don't like Englishmen；〃 said Ann。
〃They have their points；〃 suggested Abner。 〃Besides； boys take
after their mothers； they say。〃 And Abner rose and gathered his
letters together。
Ann remained very thoughtful all that day。 In the evening； when
Abner for a moment laid down his pen for the purpose of relighting
his pipe； Ann came to him； seating herself on the corner of the
desk。
〃I suppose；〃 she said； 〃that's why you never married mother？〃
Abner's mind at the moment was much occupied with the Panama Canal。
〃What mother？〃 he asked。 〃Whose mother？〃
〃My mother；〃 answered Ann。 〃I suppose men are like that。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃 said Abner； dismissing altogether the
Panama Canal。
〃You loved my mother very much；〃 explained Ann with cold
deliberation。 〃She always made you think of Wordsworth's perfect
woman。〃
〃Who told you all that？〃 demanded Abner。
〃You did。〃
〃I did？〃
〃It was the day you took me away from Miss Carew's because she said
she couldn't manage me；〃 Ann informed him。
〃Good Lord！ Why； that must be two years ago；〃 mused Abner。
〃Three；〃 Ann corrected him。 〃All but a few days。〃
〃I wish you'd use your memory for things you're wanted to remember；〃
growled Abner。
〃You said you had never asked her to marry you；〃 pursued Ann
relentlessly； 〃you wouldn't tell me why。 You said I shouldn't
understand。〃
〃My fault；〃 muttered Abner。 〃I forget you're a child。 You ask all
sorts of questions that never ought to enter your head； and I'm fool
enough to answer you。〃
One small tear that had made its escape unnoticed by her was
stealing down her cheek。 He wiped it away and took one of her small
paws in both his hands。
〃I loved your mother very dearly；〃 he said gravely。 〃I had loved
her from a child。 But no woman will ever understand the power that
beauty has upon a man。 You see we're built that way。 It's Nature's
lure。 Later on； of course； I might have forgotten； but then it was
too late。 Can you forgive me？〃
〃But you still love her；〃 reasoned Ann through her tears； 〃or you
wouldn't want him to come here。〃
〃She had such a hard time of it；〃 pleaded Abner。 〃It made things
easier to her； my giving her my word that I would always look after
the boy。 You'll help me？〃
〃I'll try；〃 said Ann。 But there was not much promise in the tone。
Nor did Matthew Pole himself； when he arrived； do much to help
matters。 He was so hopelessly English。 At least； that was the way
Ann put it。 He was shy and sensitive。 It is a trying combination。
It made him appear stupid and conceited。 A lonely childhood had
rendered him unsociable； unadaptable。 A dreamy； imaginative
temperament imposed upon him long moods of silence： a liking for
long solitary walks。 For the first time Ann and Mrs。 Travers were
in agreement。
〃A sulky young dog；〃 commented Mrs。 Travers。 〃If I were your uncle
I'd look out for a job for him in San Francisco。〃
〃You see；〃 said Ann in excuse for him； 〃it's such a foggy country；
England。 It makes them like that。〃
〃It's a pity they can't get out of it；〃 said Mrs。 Travers。
Also； sixteen is an awkward age for a boy。 Virtues； still in the
chrysalis state； are struggling to escape from their parent vices。
Pride； an excellent quality making for courage and patience； still
appears in the swathings of arrogance。 Sincerity still expresses
itself in the language of rudeness。 Kindness itself is apt to be
mistaken for amazing impertinence and love of interference。
It was kindnessa genuine desire to be useful； that prompted him to
point out to Ann her undoubted faults and failings； nerved him to
the task of bringing her up in the way she should go。 Mrs。 Travers
had long since washed her hands of the entire business。 Uncle Ab；
as Matthew also called him； had proved himself a weakling。
Providence； so it seemed to Matthew； must have been waiting
impatiently for his advent。 Ann at first thought it was some new
school of humour。 When she found he was serious she set herself to
cure him。 But she never did。 He was too conscientious for that。
The instincts of the guide； philosopher； and friend to humanity in
general were already too strong in him。 There were times when Abner
almost wished that Matthew Pole senior had lived a little longer。
But he did not lose hope。 At the back of his mind was the fancy
that these two children of his loves would come together。 Nothing
is quite so sentimental as a healthy old bachelor。 He pictured them
making u