“She says she’ll tell me what kept her by and by. Some poor folks, I s’pose, that she stopped to do something for. Come, John, sit down and begin, or your supper’ll be cold,” said the practical housewife. John was an obedient husband besides being a hungry man, and so he sat down, asked a blessing, and then made a vigorous attack on the viands before him. They were still at the table when there came a rap at the kitchen door. Em., being the nearest, left her seat and opened it. Then, to the surprise of every one, Lieutenant Ronald Bruce walked into the kitchen. Yes, walked in with the innocent and delighted air of a child who was doing a voluntary good deed for which he expected to be praised and rewarded. And then—just as if he had not been forbidden the house that very morning, and had not departed both in sorrow and in anger—he shook hands with Em., saying: “Good-evening, Miss Palmer. I hope you are quite well;” and then impudently walked up to John and Susan, shook hands with them both, nodded to the young ones, and said: “Mr. Palmer, I come to you from The Breezes on an errand. Dr. Willet was remarking that your sick woman, Mrs. Whitlock, needed brandy, and that none good was to be found in the neighborhood. So my uncle sent down to his own cellar at once and had up two bottles of this rare old cognac—vintage 1781—and he sends it to you with his good wishes. Here it is!” concluded the young man, taking from each side pocket a long brown paper parcel, unrolling them and displaying two dusty, mouldy, cobwebbed bottles, which he stood upon the supper table. Now what could John or Susan do or say? I will tell you what Em. did. She set a chair before a vacant place at the table and said: “Will you join us and take a cup of tea, Mr. Bruce?” “Thanks; I will gladly do so if Mrs. Palmer will permit me,” smilingly answered the young man, as, taking this permission for granted, he seated himself in the offered chair. “I’m a thousand times obliged to Commodore Bruce, and so would Mrs. Whitlock be if she was conscious enough to know anything about it. But I must say I am sorry, sir, that you should have taken the unusual trouble to bring it over yourself,” said John, divided as to his emotions between gratitude and indignation.