“Where does he write from?”
“He is in Nice, with his mother and aunt. He is seedy,” answered Philip, “but he says he is returning at once to work.”
“There is no understanding women,” Alvin next said. “I think Aimée means to remain unmarried. I should like her to marry some good man. Mrs. Le Breton could live with them. I should make that a condition; and I should go back to Canada. I thought I should like living a gentleman’s life, as John did. But I don’t. I would rather be in Canada and ‘hire out.’”
“But surely with all your money you would not need to ‘hire out’?” laughed Philip.
He was glad of an excuse to laugh out. He felt like shouting. It was all very well for Alvin to say his niece wanted to remain unmarried! She should not remain unmarried if Philip could help it!
“You see,” said Alvin uneasily, “I have been used to hard work all my life, and I am like a fish out of water.”
“But why hire out?” asked Philip. “Couldn’t you buy a farm and work it?”
“Young man, there are things you do not understand,” Alvin told him a little curtly.
Philip was silent.
Alvin himself was silent too for some time. His thoughts, awakened by Philip’s natural question, brought his sin vividly before him. He buy a farm, indeed! was he not at this very moment living on Eweretta’s charity? He could not bear it! He was still strong and hearty. There were years more work in him. If only he could see Eweretta happily married, he would then disappear.