“No; it's a short visit. They're going into the Virginia mountains for the summer.” A manservant came in and said something in a low voice. “Heigh? What? Why, of course! Certainly! By all means! Show him in! Come in, parson; come in!” called the host to his yet unseen visitor, and he held out his hand for Sewell to take when he appeared at the door. “Glad to see you! I can't get up,--a little gouty to-day,--but Bellingham's on foot. _His_ difficulty is sitting down.” Bellingham gave the minister a near-sighted man's glare through his glasses, and then came eagerly forward and shook hands. “Oh, Mr. Sewell! I hope you've come to put up some job on Corey. Don't spare him! With Kanawha Paint Co. at the present figures he merits any demand that Christian charity can make upon him. The man's prosperity is disgraceful.” “I'm glad to find you here, Mr. Bellingham,” said Sewell, sitting down. “Oh, is it double-barrelled?” pleaded Bellingham. “I don't know that it's a deadly weapon of any kind,” returned the minister. “But if one of you can't help me, perhaps the other can.” “Well, let us know what the job is,” said Corey. “We refuse to commit ourselves beforehand.” “I shall have to begin at the beginning,” said Sewell warningly, “and the beginning is a long way off.” “No matter,” said Bellingham adventurously. “The further off, the better. I've been dining with Corey--he gives you a very good dinner now, Corey does--and I'm just in the mood for a deserving case.” “The trouble with Sewell is,” said Corey, “that he doesn't always take the trouble to have them deserving. I hope this is interesting, at least.” “I suspect you'll find it more interesting than I shall,” said the minister, inwardly preparing himself for the amusement which Lemuel's history always created in his hearers. It seemed to him, as he began, that he was always telling this story, and that his part in the affair was always becoming less and less respectable. No point was lost upon his hearers; they laughed till the ladies in the drawing-room above wondered what the joke could be. “At any rate,” said Bellingham, “the fellow behaved magnificently at the fire. I read the accounts of it.” “I think his exploits owe something to the imagination of the reporters,” said Sewell. “He tells a different story himself.” “Oh, of course!” said Bellingham. “Well; and what else?” asked Corey. “There isn't any more. Simply he's out of work, and wants something to do--anything to do--anything that isn't menial.” “Ah, that's a queer start of his,” said Bellingham thoughtfully. “I don't know but I like that.” “And do you come to such effete posterity as we are for help in a case like that?” demanded Corey. “Why, the boy's an Ancestor!” “So he is! Why, so he is--so he is!” said Bellingham, with delight in the discovery. “Of course he is!”