"Haven't no father," said Eva, with a quick shake of the head. "Never had no father. Mother lives close by."
"Well, come along, Eva. Just take me to see mother. Perhaps she can tell me something of the Kenyon I am seeking. Are you called Eva after mother?"
Eva laughed and shook her head. "No; mother has a hard name to say. I can't always say it just right. Cla—Cla——"
"—rissa," said the strange man, supplying the missing syllables. "Is mother's Christian name Clarissa?"
Eva clapped her hands, jumping up and down with excitement.
"Oh, Jack, he's like the conjurer what tells you things he doesn't ought to know. Isn't it clever of him to find out mummy's name?" But Jack was intently watching the stranger's face, wondering greatly why it twitched as if he were in pain.
"P'raps he's got the toothache," was his solution of the difficulty, not knowing that heartache was the trouble.
"Take me to mummy," said the stranger again, holding out his hand.
"We've telled you both our names; you've not telled us yours."
"That will come later; for the present it's enough for you to know that I'm a bush brother."