There was a murmur of voices in the parlour as he paused in the entry, and he wondered who was within, but as his foot rang out the sound ceased.
He opened the door and went in; and then stopped bewildered.
In the dim light that passed through the window stood his father and Mary Maxwell, his sister.
CHAPTER V
FATHER AND SON
None of the three spoke for a moment.
Then Mary drew her breath sharply as she saw Ralph’s face, for it had hardened during that moment into a kind of blind obstinacy which she had only seen once or twice in her life before.
As he stood there he seemed to stiffen into resistance. His eyelids drooped, and little lines showed themselves suddenly at either side of his thin mouth. His father saw it too, for the hand that he had lifted entreatingly sank again, and his voice was tremulous as he spoke.
“Ralph—Ralph, my son!” he said.
Still the man said nothing; but stood frozen, his face half-turned to the windows.
“Ralph, my son,” said the other again, “you know why we have come.”