"I met Miss Perry this afternoon," Mr. Burford remarked presently. "She told me a piece of news you'll be glad to hear, Tom. Her nephew's coming with his father to spend Christmas with her."
"Oh, splendid!" cried Tom. "You'll like Mr. Perry, Nellie. He spent a few days with Miss Perry in September, you know, and called to see Mother and Father then."
"To thank us, he said, for our kindness to his son," explained Mrs. Burford. "You see, Nellie dear, after you'd gone, Peter and Tom became almost inseparable, and your father took them for several outings to various places. Mr. Perry realised, I expect, that Peter, being blind, is rather a charge."
Tom's school had broken up for the Christmas holidays that afternoon, so he was able to devote the whole of his time during the next few days to his sister. They had many confidences to exchange and matters of interest only to themselves to discuss, and their Christmas presents to purchase, so they were very busy and happy. One afternoon, on coming home, after having spent a couple of hours in looking into shop windows, they found their parents in earnest conversation in the sitting-room, and heard Mrs. Burford say as they entered the room: "Oh, do let me tell them!"
"Yes, certainly," Mr. Burford answered; adding, "Your mother has good news for you, children."
"Mr. Perry has been here: he and Peter arrived last night," Mrs. Burford said eagerly, "and he has offered your father a responsible post in his London office, with a larger salary than he would get in the bank for years, and your father has accepted it. You know Mr. Perry is at the head of an important firm of shipowners, and—"
"Oh, yes," interposed Tom excitedly. "Oh, Mother, how happy you look! I see it's a very good post Father's to have, isn't it?"
"It is, my boy," Mr. Burford answered. "I really can't think what made Mr. Perry think of offering it to me."
"I can," said Tom quickly. "Peter knew you'd been rather shabbily treated at the bank, Father. I'd told him, and of course he told his father, and—"
"Oh, Tom!" Mrs. Burford broke in reprovingly; then her eyes and her husband's met, and she laughed light-heartedly.