Mrs. Pamflett sighed a gentle endorsement of the declaration, and meekly went the way indicated by Fanny. She turned off, however, when she could no longer be seen by the Lethbridges, and by a devious path successfully tracked Phoebe and Fred Cornwall, whom, from a distance, she watched with lynx eyes, noting the manner of their association--Phoebe's head modestly bent down, and Fred gazing upon her with looks of love. Fanny, meanwhile, talking away vivaciously, suddenly stopped in the middle of a sentence, and cried, "Oh!" "Has a pin run into you?" asked Bob; but he too gasped as he saw Miser Farebrother, leaning upon Jeremiah's arm, standing in front. Aunt Leth was the first to speak to him. "How do you do, Mr. Farebrother?" she said, holding out her hand. "Weak and ill, as you see," said Miser Farebrother, shaking hands with his sister-in-law; "a martyr to rheumatism and other pains. I'm growing old, sister-in-law; I am growing old. Don't you see the change in me?" "We are all growing old," said Mrs. Lethbridge, with a sympathizing smile. "But some can bear it better than others," groaned Miser Farebrother. "Now, you are strong and can walk without assistance. Look at me: even with my crutch-stick I cannot walk without human support. Don't go, Jeremiah; I shall fall to the ground if you leave me. You know my sister-in-law?" "Yes," said Jeremiah, with a careless nod at Aunt Leth; "we had tea together--a delightful tea." He had been searching with his eyes for Phoebe, and not seeing her or Fred Cornwall, had made a movement to leave his master. "We have to thank you," said Aunt Leth to Miser Farebrother, "for a very pleasant evening." "Don't speak of it. We ought to see more of each other; you ought to have been here oftener. One's flesh and blood--we are almost that, are we not, sister-in-law?--should not desert one as you have deserted me." "Indeed! indeed!" stammered Aunt Leth, somewhat confounded by this reproach. "Never mind, never mind," said Miser Farebrother, with a gentle air of resignation. "We must say nothing but kind things to one another. If you have deserted me, you have not deserted my dear child, who is always full of praises of you." "We love her," said Aunt Leth, "as well as we love our own." "It is very good of you. Is that your husband? My eyesight is shockingly weak. I'm breaking fast, I'm afraid." Mr. Lethbridge came forward, and Miser Farebrother seized his hand and gave it a cordial grasp. The kind-hearted man could find nothing better to say than, "I am very glad to see you, Mr. Farebrother."