It was evident how his father loved him. Henry Hindes’s features lighted up with paternal affection as his little son appeared, and he called the child to him and placed him on his knee, that all the room might admire him. Master Wally was really a splendid specimen of a boy, notwithstanding his plainness, with his head of thick, curly hair, his large, dark eyes, and dimpled neck and shoulders showing above his embroidered frock. ‘This is not a bad specimen to carry on the family of the Hindes, eh, Arthur?’ inquired his father, proudly, as he passed his hand over the infant’s curls. ‘He is a magnificent boy,’ said his brother, enthusiastically, ‘and I don’t wonder you are proud of him, Henry. Why, he would make two of our little Charlie! And how fat he is! He must weigh about fifty pounds.’ ‘And he is really very intelligent for such a baby,’ interposed Hannah; ‘he has taught himself all his letters from his picture alphabet, and draws wonderfully for so young a child.’ ‘Yes,’ added Henry Hindes, proudly, ‘we are not at all ashamed of our son and heir. We consider he is as good as most.’ ‘I don’t remember ever to have seen a finer child,’ said Doctor Govan, willing to add his meed of admiration for the parents’ pleasure, ‘but you must be careful how you press so active a brain. Never forget that the body and the brain cannot grow together, unless at the expense of one or the other. Let him do nothing but play now! Half a dozen years hence will be plenty of time to begin cramming him. If the true history of most murderers could be traced back, it would be found that their brains had been unduly charged when young, and broken down, or become abnormal under the process. You don’t want this little man to develop into a criminal, I’m sure,’ said the doctor, as he kindly patted the boy’s shoulder. But Henry Hindes’s manner had completely changed. He snatched the child from the stranger’s reach, and rose majestically from his seat. ‘What do you mean?’ he demanded, ‘by coupling my child’s name with that of a murderer? Have you come here to insult me? I will not let you touch him again. I never heard of such a thing in my life! Perhaps you are a murderer yourself, since it comes so pat to you to talk of them. Leave my house at once! I will not have my children’s ears contaminated by hearing of such things!’ ‘Henry! Henry!’ pleaded his wife, ‘what are you saying? This gentleman is our guest--a friend of Arthur’s. You must not speak to him like that! You can’t be well!’