His sister's eyes were not easily to be deceived, and they were positive they saw pain in the eyes which met her own. "Don," she said softly, "may I ask you one question?" "Please don't." "When you were a little boy, and you got hurt in any way, you used to run away and hide. Are you--hiding now?" His eyes grew dark with sudden anger, but he replied with self-control: "You will have to think what you like about that, Sue. If that is the way the thing looks to you--so be it!" The sound of the returning car made Mrs. Breckenridge speak hurriedly: "I didn't mean to be unkind, Don boy. Nobody knows better than I that you are no coward. Only--only--you know an ascetic denies himself things that he needn't. And--you _are_ an ascetic!" "Can I never convince you of your mistake about that?" he answered; and now his lips smiled again, a little stiffly. She embraced him once more, stopped to say beseechingly, "You won't keep that baby here, will you, Don?" and, receiving his assurance that he would consult with his neighbours in the morning as to the welfare of the foundling, took her departure. Left alone Brown went back into the quiet room. The baby was stirring among its wrappings. Bim, who had roused himself to see the visitor off, came and poked his nose into the bundle. "We never know what's coming, Bim, do we?" asked Brown of his companion. "Sometimes it's what we want, and sometimes not. But--if we are to teach others we must be taught ourselves, Bim. And that's what's happening now." VI BROWN'S PERSISTENT MEMORY "I wonder," he said to himself an hour later, "if it's any use to go to bed at all!" He was walking the floor with the baby in his arms. Bim, puzzled and anxious, walked by his side, looking up at the small bundle with a glance which seemed to say, "What in the world are we going to do with it?" Whether the feeding from the teaspoon had disagreed with its digestion could not be discovered, but clearly the baby was unhappy. It was quiet when walked with but upon being put down immediately set up such an outcry that the bachelor, unaccustomed, could not listen to it with stoicism. Therefore, when he had endured the sound as long as he could, he had taken the little visitor up and was now walking with it, himself in bathgown and slippers. "It may be a pin, Bim," said he suddenly. He sat down before the fire, laid the baby upon its face on his knees and began cautiously to investigate. He loosened the tiny garments one by one, until he had reached the little body and could assure himself that no sharp point was responsible for the baby's discomfort. He gently rubbed the small back, wondering, as he did so, at the insignificant area his hand nearly covered. Under this treatment the wailing gradually quieted. "Bim," said he resignedly, "we shall have to sit up with him--for a while, at least." Bim walked over to the window.