"And what is this young scapegrace going to do now? Live on his father and mother, or is he going to try and do some honest work?"
Sir Edward's tone was rather impatient. Milly looked up surprised.
"Do you mean Tommy, uncle? Are you angry with him? He told me he was going to look for work directly, and Maxwell is coming up to speak to you about him to-morrow."
"Ah! I daresay—wants him to take the place of under-keeper, I suppose," and Sir Edward gave a little grunt of dissatisfaction at the thought.
CHAPTER IX.
"A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM."
When Sir Edward retired to his room that night, he paced up and down for some time in front of his little niece's picture that she had given him. His brow was knitted, and he was thinking deeply.
"I am longing to have peace," he muttered. "Why cannot I make up my mind to seek it! 'I will arise'—ay, easy to say; it's a hard and bitter thing for a backslider to retrace his steps. How the child stabs me sometimes, and how little she knows my past!"
He stopped and gazed at the picture. "And the Lord Himself used this as an illustration. I could not want anything stronger."