It was not pleasant to listen to all this. Debby had nothing to tell, not knowing anything; nor Mr Bethune, though he doubtless knew all. So there was nothing better to do than just wait till the right time came.

"I suppose we may count upon the books, mamma, or she would not have asked you to leave them here?" said David.

"Yes, I think so. She never called them hers, you know. She will have explained it to Mr Bethune, I suppose. I think you may count on the books."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

Another year pa.s.sed quietly over the Inglis household. Jem and David both did good service, each in his special calling, and made some progress in other things besides. David kept the plan of his life steadily before him, but this year did not, to all appearance, bring its fulfillment any nearer. It did not seem impossible to him that their life should go on in the same quiet routine, without break or change, for a long time, nor did this seem impossible to his mother.

There was this difference in their thoughts, however. While Davie, with the impatience of youth, grew anxious now and then, as though the sowing time were pa.s.sing with no seed being put in, his mother knew that there was nothing lost to his future work as yet, that the discipline of early care and self-denial, the constant and willing giving of himself to work, which in itself was not congenial, was a better preparation than he knew. She felt that if the Master had a special work for him to do, He would provide a way for special preparation, and that His time was best. David knew this too, and was on the whole content to look forward a good way yet, for the change that must come, when his wish with regard to this one thing should be granted. He was more than content. Life went very quietly and happily with them this year, and it was a profitable time in many ways.

Jem's work agreed with him, it seemed, for he was growing tall and strong. His gay and careless temper brought him into some difficulties this year, and being at that age when a young lad making his own way is apt to become tenacious about little things which concern his dignity, and impatient of the open exercise of restraint acknowledged to be lawful and right, he needed to be gently and carefully managed. But happily this uncomfortable period did not last long with Jem. He grew manly in character as well as in appearance, and grew more, rather than less, open to home influence as he grew older.

David's fair face and quiet manner gave Jem an appearance of advantage over him as far as manliness was concerned, and strangers often took Jem to be the eldest of the brothers. Jem himself, in a laughing way, claimed to be beyond him in a knowledge of the world--on its hard side-- and made merry pretence and promise of advising and protecting him in certain supposed circ.u.mstances of difficulty or danger. But in his heart he deferred to his brother, as in all things far wiser and better than he.

As to David's plans and their carrying out, Jem saw neither doubt nor difficulty. In a few years--not very distinctly specified--Jem was to become the head and bread-winner of the house, and David was to go his own way to honour and usefulness. Jem was still to be the rich man of the family, though the time and manner of winning his wealth he could not make very clear; and David laughed and accepted his freedom from care and his brother's gifts very gratefully, and professed to have no scruples as to his future claims upon him.

When Mr Oswald's household was broken up, Violet returned home. But happily an opportunity occurred for her to obtain what she had long secretly coveted, a chance to improve herself, in some branches of study, under better masters than Singleton could afford. She pa.s.sed the greater part of the year as pupil-teacher in a superior school in M--, and returned home in the end of June. The year was of great advantage to her in many ways, though the children at home could not see it. She "was just the same as ever," they said, which was a high compliment, though not intended as such.

She had not changed, but she had made advances in several directions her mother was pleased to discover. Her return was a great pleasure to her brothers, but Jem was critical now and then, and spoke of "airs and graces," and "fine manners," as though she were not quite innocent of those on occasion. David was indignant, but Violet laughed at them both, and proved that whatever change had come to her manners, none had come to her temper, "which was a blessing," Jem acknowledged.

Mr Oswald's household was broken up about the time of Miss Bethia's death. Selina remained with her sister, and the little girls went with their aunt to her former home. Mr Oswald had been induced to take the sea voyage, and the entire rest from business, which his physicians declared absolutely necessary to his entire restoration to health.

Frank accompanied him to England, where they both remained during the year. His health had improved, and there was some expectation that they would return at the close of the summer.

His house had been sold, and was now used as a hospital for the poor and sick of the town. The extensive grounds around it had been cut up by the opening of several new streets in that direction, and one could scarcely have recognised the place that used to be so beautiful in the eyes of the Inglis children. However, the only Oswald left in Singleton took the sale of the house, in which he had been born and brought up, very philosophically. The opening of the new streets had increased the value of the land immensely, and under the careful hands of Mr Caldwell, that and all other property belonging to Mr Oswald was being so disposed of that his creditors had a good prospect of losing nothing by him.

Philip Oswald still a.s.serted, that but for the faint-heartedness which illness had brought upon his father, and the untimely pressure of the creditors because of it, there needed have been no failure. He a.s.serted it indignantly enough some-times, but he did not regret the disposal of the house or the spoiling of the beautiful grounds as he might have been supposed to do.

The sudden change in the circ.u.mstances of the family had not hurt Philip. The year's discipline of constant employment, and limited expenditure, had done him good, and, as he himself declared to Jem and David, not before it was time. The boyish follies which had clung to him as a young man, because of the easy times on which he had fallen, must have grown into something worse than folly before long, and but for the chance of wholesome hard work which had been provided for him, and his earnest desire to work out the best possible result for his father's good name, he might have gone to ruin in one way or other. But these things, with the help of other influences, had kept him from evil, and encouraged him to good, and there were high hopes for Philip still.

He had not been in Singleton all the year, but here and there and everywhere, at the bidding of the cautious, but laborious and judicious, Caldwell, who had daily increasing confidence in his business capacity, and did not hesitate to make the utmost use of his youthful strength.

When he was in Singleton, his home was in Mr Caldwell's house. He had gone there for a day or two, till other arrangements could be made. But no other arrangements were needed. He stayed there more contentedly than he could at the beginning of the year have supposed possible, and it grew less a matter of self-denial to Mr and Mrs Caldwell to have him there as time went on. He had a second home in the house of Mrs Inglis; and this other good had come to him out of his father's troubles, and the way he had taken to help them, that he made a friend of David Inglis. He had supposed himself friendly enough with him before, but he knew nothing about him. That is to say, he knew nothing about that which made David so different from himself, so different from most of the young men with whom he had had to do.

"In one thing he is different," Mrs Inglis had said, "He is a servant of G.o.d. He professes to wish to live no longer to himself." With this in his thought, he watched David at home and abroad, at first only curiously, but afterwards with other feelings. David was shy of him for a time, and kept the position of "mere lad," which Philip had at first given him, long after his friendship was sought on other terms. But they learned to know each other in a little, and they did each other good. Mrs Inglis saw clearly how well it was for David to have some one more ready and better fitted to share his pleasures and interests than Jem, because of his different tastes and pursuits, could possibly do. And she saw also that David's influence could not fail to have a salutary effect on his friend, and she encouraged their intercourse, and did all in her power to make it profitable to them both. Violet and the children spent a month in Gourlay; but Mrs Inglis, not liking to leave David and Jem alone, only went for a day or two. They returned early in August. Mr Oswald and Frank were expected soon. Mr Philip's spirits did not rise as the time of their coming drew near. He dreaded for his father the coming back to find no home awaiting him. He consulted with Mrs Inglis as to the preparations he should make for him; but, when it was talked over among them, it was found that he did not know enough about his father's future plans to make it possible for him to make arrangements for more than a day or two. He did not even know whether he was to remain in Singleton. He did not even know whether he should remain in Singleton himself. He could decide nothing till they came.

He was altogether too anxious and troubled, Mrs Inglis told him; he had not been like himself for some time.

"Well, it ought to be all the more agreeable to the rest because of that," said he, laughing.

"It has not been. And you must let me say that I think you are troubling yourself more than enough with regard to the coming of your father."

"But it is about myself, partly, you know."

"Well, I think the trouble is uncalled for in either case. It will not be so bad for your father as you fear."

"Do you know what is the news in town to-day, Philip?" asked Jem. "That you and old Caldwell are going into the produce business together. A queer team you would make!"

"We have drawn very well together for the last year," said Philip.

Jem shrugged his shoulders, and made a grimace.

"Singleton might suit Mr Caldwell to do business in, but I wouldn't fix myself in Singleton if I were you."

"Nonsense, Jem," said David. "There is no better place than Singleton for that business, everybody knows."

"And, besides, Philip is well-known here," said Mrs Inglis.

"I am not sure that it is a better place for me because of that, Aunt Mary; but it is as good a place as any, I suppose, in which to begin with a small capital."

"Pooh! about capital! The only men in the country worth their salt began life without a dollar. Which of us has capital? And we are all bound to be rich men before we die," said Jem.

"Yes, I dare say. If I were a boy of fifteen, I might say the same,"

said Philip, with a sigh.

"Hear him! You would think him fifty, at least. And if you mean me,"

said Jem loftily, "I am nearly seventeen. I only wish I were twenty-three, with the world before me."

They all laughed at his energy.

"There is no hurry, Jem. You will need all the years that are before you. Violet, put away your work, and play, and the children will sing."

Violet rose and opened the piano, and there was no more said at that time. While the children were singing, David went out, and, in a little, called Philip from the window. Philip rose and went out also, and they pa.s.sed down the garden together. By and by they had enough of music, and Violet shut the piano, and sat down beside the window with her work again. Jem had the grace to wait till the children went out, and then he said:

"Mamma, you said I was to tell you the next time, and here it is. You must have noticed yourself--Violet's manner, I mean. Philip noticed it, I could see. She was as stiff and dignified as Mrs Mavor herself. I wouldn't put on airs with Phil, when he is down as he is to-night, if I were you."

Violet looked from him to her mother in astonishment.

"Do you know what he means, mamma?"

"You don't need mamma to tell you."

"Tell me, then, Jem. What did I say or do?"

"You didn't say or do anything. You were stiff and stupid. Mamma must have seen it."

"No, Jem, I did not. If you mean that Violet's manner to Mr Philip is not the same as to you and Davie--why, you know, it can't quite be that."

"No, because Violet made up her mind long ago that Philip Oswald was a foolish young man--'not in earnest,' as she used to say. Letty can't bear people that are not quite perfect," said Jem.

Letty laughed, and so did her mother.

"Thank you, Jem. That is as much as saying that I consider myself quite perfect."

"Oh! you may laugh," said Jem, loftily; "but if Phil, hasn't proved himself steady enough by this time, I don't know what you would have!

There are not many would have staid it out, under old Caldwell, and have done as he has done. To say nothing about the business not being a very pleasant one."

"He has improved very much," said Mrs Inglis.