"Where is your mother?" asked Ralph. His brother had not been married when they had parted, twenty years back.
"Mother is with father," said Mary.
"And is that their home?" inquired Ralph, as he approached a pretty farmhouse which stood a little way back from the road.
"Oh no!" cried Mary, in surprise at the question. "Not a big home like that."
Ralph's face became graver and sadder, for the farmhouse was not so large as the dwelling in which he had last seen his brother. It was clear that Long John could not have prospered in life; and this made Ralph more deeply regret having so long harboured anger against him.
"Why had I the folly—the worse than folly—to keep up a quarrel with my own brother!" thought he. "Poor John has gone down in the world; I shall find him, perhaps, in distress. He has needed the help of a brother, and knew not where a letter would find me.—Has your father to work very hard?" he inquired.
"Oh no," replied the child again, with a look of surprise.
The mind of Ralph was relieved. "Then he is never very hungry?" said he.
"Never hungry," answered Mary gravely.
"It is a comfort that John has not known actual want," thought Ralph. "If I find him—as I expect—a poor man, I, with plenty of money in my pocket, shall be able to start him again in business."