"Oh!" said Mr. Homer, "not exactly, Pindar. Direxia Hawkes has--a--retired to rest; has--a--sought the sleep which--which--" "Knits up the ravelled sleeve of care!" suggested Mr. Pindar. "Oh, very much so!" cried Mr. Homer. "You surely remember Direxia, brother, and will no doubt agree with me that the term 'minion' cannot properly be applied to Cousin Marcia's old and faithful retainer. And--the youth who--who admitted you, is Thomas Candy, my friend and fellow trustee. Thomas is an invaluable person, Pindar; he is like a son to me, I assure you. You will, I am sure, value Thomas. I will suggest to him the advisability of bringing candles. Oh, here he is! Thomas, this is my brother Pindar, my only brother, returned after the lapse of many years to--to his native heath, if I may so express myself. Thomas Candy, my dear brother!" "Son of Silas?" cried Mr. Pindar. "Ha! 'tis well. Stripling, thy hand! lives yet thy father, ha?" Tommy grinned, and rumpled his hair with an elfish look eminently unfitting a trustee. "You are the one he used to play ghost with, and scare the Weightses," he said. "I've heard of you, sir. Father isn't livin', but Mis' Tree told me about it. Glad to see you, sir!" CHAPTER IX. "_QUAND ON CONSPIRE_" Mr. Pindar Hollopeter slept long and late the next morning, as became a gentleman of metropolitan habits; he had not yet made his appearance when Will Jaquith came swinging along the street and turned in at the gate. Tommy Candy was at work in the garden, trimming the roses, as Will himself had been used to do before he was a family man and a postmaster, and at sight of him Will stopped. "Just the man I was looking for, Tom!" he said. "I want to consult you." "Same here!" said Tommy, straightening himself and looking over the sweetbriar bush. "What's up your way?" "This!" said Will, taking a postal card from his pocket. "I don't make a practice of reading postal cards, Tom, but I thought I'd better do it this time, as I recognized the handwriting;" and he read aloud: "'Expect me to-morrow at eleven, for the day. M. DARRACOTT PRYOR.'" "Gee!" said Tommy Candy. "Whiz!" said Will Jaquith. "Exactly. Now what are we to do? I promised Mr. Homer that she should not torment him."