"Hum! got any more children, Mrs. Shipton?"
"One boy at sea, sir."
"At sea!—ran away?"
"No!" burst indignantly from Janet and Ellen; "he went because he got a good chance; and he didn't like going, but he said he wouldn't stop and burden mother."
"He's a good son, sir—my boy Alan!" said the mother proudly.
"Alan!" said the old man, lingering on the name; "why do you call him that?"
"It was his father's name, sir," said the widow, as she bent her head lower over her work.
Ellen noticed that the old gentleman bit his lip and looked down on the ground, and she thought he must be rather kind, because he did not ask any more questions, and did not look at her mother's sad face.
At this moment Maurice roused himself from his heavy sleep, and looked round in stupid, slumbering wonder upon the stranger who seemed to have made himself so much at home.
Janet ran to his side, and eagerly whispered the news, while Maurice rubbed his eyes and took a good look at the new-comer.