“Freely, freely, my father.”
“Now can I die content,” said Mr. Rand, with a deep sigh of relief. “For many, many years I have waited and looked forward to this hour. I could not believe that God would suffer me to die till I had seen you.”
“Die!” repeated Robert, in a sorrowful tone.
“Yes, Robert, you have come at the eleventh hour.”
“And for months I have lived within two miles of you, and never guessed your nearness.”
“Did you not see my advertisement?”
“Never.”
“How is this?” said Mr. Rand, puzzled. “In what papers was it inserted, Lewis?”
Lewis stood at the door, an apprehensive listener. For obvious reasons he did not choose to obey this call.
“It may be because I seldom look at the papers,” said Robert, not wishing to agitate his father with the intelligence of his cousin’s treachery.