"Quite right," said Sir Everard, shortly; "I did not think you would have remembered him. I daresay, Charlie, Humphrey has not altered very much; but this little fellow was quite a baby when you went away," he added, taking Miles up in his arms, and looking at his brother-in-law for admiration. "What a likeness!" exclaimed Uncle Charlie. Sir Everard put the child down with a sigh. "Like in more ways than one, I am afraid. Look here," pointing to the delicate tracery of the blue veins on the forehead, and the flush on the fair cheek. Humphrey had been listening intently to this conversation, and his father being once more occupied with kissing Miles, he advanced to his uncle, and put his hand confidingly in his. "You are a nice little man," said Uncle Charlie, laying his other hand on the curly head; "we were always good friends, Humphrey. But," he added, half to himself, as he turned up the bright face to his, and gazed at it intently for a moment, "you are not a bit like your mother." The dressing-gong now sounded, and the little boys proceeded to their father's room, to help or hinder him with his toilette. Miles devoted himself to the carpet-bag, in expectation of some tempting paper parcel; while Humphrey's attentions were given to first one and then the other of the articles he was extracting from the pocket of the coat Sir Everard had just thrown off. A suspicious click made the baronet turn round. "What have you got hold of, Humphrey?" An open pocket-knife dropped from the boy's hand he had just succeeded in opening the two blades, and was in the act of trying the edges on his thumb nail. Failing in that experiment, his restless fingers strayed to the dressing-table, and an ominous silence ensued. "Humphrey," shouted his father, "put my razor down." In the glass he had caught sight of a well-soaped face, and spoke just in time to stop the operation. Punishment always follows sin, and Humphrey was dispatched to the nursery to have his face sponged and dried. By taking a slide down the banisters, however, he made up for lost time, and arrived at the library-door at the same time as his father and brother. Uncle Charlie was standing by the window, ready dressed; and the gong sounding at that moment, they all went in to dinner. The two little brothers had a chair on each side of their father, and an occasional share in his food. Dinner proceeded in silence. Uncle Charlie was enjoying his soup, and Sir Everard, dividing himself between his little boys and his meal. "It's William's birthday to-day," said Humphrey, breaking silence. The unfortunate individual in white silk stockings, thus suddenly brought into public notice, reddened to the roots of his hair; and in his confusion nearly dropped the dish he was in the act of putting down before his master. "He's twenty-two years old to-day," continued Humphrey; "he told me so this morning."