But now he felt a coming strength. The trial through which he had passed must have served as a test. It was to restore or ruin his mental life. But why should there have been such a test, and why should the innocent have suffered? It would not do to reason, and he banished the test idea, fighting it off. Still, he acknowledged that his mind had sickened and that now it was gaining strength. He remembered his frivolity and loathed it, his jokes with William at a time when his heart was heavy and swollen. "Unnatural as a father and inconsistent as a man," he muttered. "But who is to judge of man’s naturalness? One kink in the mind and the entire world is changed." William knocked again, and now the Judge opened the door. The old fellow looked at his brother and exclaimed: "Why, what has happened, John?" "Nothing, except that I have been really ill. But I am almost recovered. My mind has passed through a sort of crisis, William. I can now look back and see that I was not right. My present strength tells me of my former weakness. I am soon to be entirely well." "Well, I am glad to hear that. It is particularly gratifying to me. And I suppose that you are, or, at least, soon will be, willing to concede that I am sometimes correct with regards to my dates." "Yes, but we won’t mention that. It is of no importance." "What! No importance? Take care, John, you’ll get back where you were, for when a man says that a date is of no importance, he’s in danger." "William, I want you to do me a favor. I am almost afraid to trust myself to go out just now. Wait a moment." He went to his desk, found a telegraph blank, and upon it wrote the following message: "The light has broken. Come back at once." William read the words and looked at him. "Go to the station," said the Judge, "and send this to Howard, in care of the conductor. It is not a secret, mind you, but don’t stay to show it. They would delay you with puzzling over it." "All right, I’ll jump into a cab and go right over. I know the station. It’s only a few blocks from here. He didn’t go all the way down town. I heard him tell his mother. By the way," William added, "I found one of Howard’s French books—" "Put it back where you found it." "What, you haven’t flopped, have you?" "I don’t know what you mean." "Why, you said that French literature was the—" "It is the civilizing force of the modern world. Go on, please. Just a moment. Tell Florence that I wish to see her." When Florence came in her face was radiant. William had spread the news of Howard’s recall. "Ah," said the Judge, "you know that I have sent for him." "Yes, father," she replied, going up to him with outstretched hands. He took her in his arms and kissed her. "What has happened?" she asked. "The atmosphere is cleared, my dear." "But, what cleared it?" "The truth. You were right. I saw a vision." She looked at him. "But what was it that brother saw?"