"Isn't he like his father?" whispered Mrs. Shipton to Ellen.
"Yes; he smiles just like him," said Ellen.
"Just like him," said Mr. Smith, in a low, deep voice, that startled them all. Maurice was frightened, and slipped down off his knee, and Ellen looked in her mother's face in silent astonishment. "Alan, Alan, my son!" and the old man rose up and came over to the sailor-boy's side. Alan stood up, and his grandfather put one hand on his shoulder, passed his hand over his dark curly hair, and then drawing him closely into his arms, said, while the tears ran down his cheeks, "Alan, be my son, instead of him that's gone."
"Who is it, mother?" asked Maurice fearfully.
But Mr. Smith, or, as we may now call him again by his rightful name, old Farmer Shipton, answered, "I am the grandfather whom you have been taught to pray for! Ellen, my daughter, my own Alan's wife, forgive me; I am your father now!"
Then Mrs. Shipton came to him, knelt down beside him, and laying her hand in his, said, "Alan always said you would come! Father, have you forgiven him?"
"Ay," said the old man; "may God forgive me as freely. And now, daughter Ellen, you must never leave me; and your children must be mine, and I must have you all. Alan will leave the sea and become my eldest son, and there's room in the old house for you all. Will you come, little daisy?" and Janet smiled gladly as she answered, "Yes, grandfather."
"God be thanked for all he has taught me in this room," said Farmer Shipton. "Ellen, my little one, will you love me too?"
"I'll try," said Ellen shyly; "but why did you want us to leave mother?"
"I don't know," said the old man gravely. "I came to London for the purpose of finding out if there was any good in any of you; and then I could not make up my mind to telling you who I was, until I had watched you and tried you to the utmost; but when I saw Alan, I could wait no longer.—Alan, will you be my son? I'm an old man, and all alone."