One afternoon, long after the occurrence of those changes to which reference has just been made, Mrs Willders, while seated quietly at her own fireside (although there was no fire there, the month being June), was interrupted in her not unusual, though innocent, occupation of darning socks by the abrupt entrance of her son Frank, who flung his cap on the table, kissed his mother on the forehead, and then flung himself on the sofa, which piece of furniture, being old and decrepit, groaned under his weight. "Mother," he exclaimed with animation, "I've got strange news to tell you. Is Willie at home?" "No, but I expect him every minute. He promised to come home earlier to-day, and won't be long, for he is a boy of his word." Mrs Willders persisted in calling her strapping sons "boys," despite the evidence to the contrary on their cheeks and chins. "Here he comes!" cried Frank, as a rapid step was heard. Next moment the door burst open and Willie, performing much the same ceremony that Frank had done, and in a wonderfully similar way, said he had come home with something strange to tell, though not altogether strange either, as his mother, he said, knew something about it already. Mrs Willders smiled and glanced at Frank. "Which is to begin first?" she asked. "What! do you know about it, too?" cried Willie, turning to his brother. "_Know_ about what?" said Frank. "You have not told me what it is; how can I answer you?" "About Mr Auberly," said Willie. Frank said that he knew nothing new or peculiar about _him_, except that he was--no, he wouldn't say anything bad of him, for he must be a miserable man at that time. "But out with your news, Willie," he added, "mine will keep; and as yours is, according to yourself, partly known already to my mother, it's as well to finish off one subject before we begin to another." "Oh, then, you have news, too, have you?" said Willie. Frank nodded. "Strange coincidence!" exclaimed Willie. "Did you ever hear of a coincidence that was not strange, lad? Go on with your news, else I'll begin before you." Thus admonished, Willie began. "Oh, mother, you're a nice deceiver; you're a sly old lady, ain't you? and you sit there with a face as meek and sweet and smiling as if you had never deceived anybody in all your life, not to speak of your two sons. O, fy!" As Mrs Willders still smiled and went on with her knitting serenely, without vouchsafing a reply, Willie continued with an off-hand air--"Well, then, I may as well tell you that I have just had an interview with _Uncle_ Auberly--hallo! you seem surprised." Mrs Willders was indeed surprised. Her serenity of aspect fled in an instant. "Oh, Willie, how comes it that you know? I'm sure I did not mean to tell you. I promised I never would. I must have let it out inadvertently, or when I was asleep."