Still more silence, while Jean’s teacup remained untouched, and her sweet eyes were full of pain. “Daughter, we have long lived on very little, thanks to your creative economy, and I can’t see that you are less fair for all your suffering. Should you grieve if now I gave away a part of my land to needy ones?” “No, father.” “Then I am minded to do it—in fact to deed them all my holding, retaining only what the foolish Lear retained.” “Can you trust them?” “Yes, because they wish to make use of your brother’s name.” “Are they crippled soldiers?” “Yes, in a sense, but their enterprise is scientific. Over where your laboratory stands they wish to build the Horatio Rich Laboratory of Physical Research.” The forgetmenot eyes filled with tears. “How very, very beautiful! But how came they—why, this is Mr. Chase Mahan’s doing!” “Even so, my darling. It seems that Mr. Mahan is much interested in the very thing you wish to see, namely radium. I shall not attempt to explain matters that are beyond me, but I dare say that crippled soldiers sometimes receive benefit from radium treatment.” Chapter 91. Brevium The mysterious news was wonderful! Men of science would come and live near her—perhaps in the woods across the creek. But her chief perplexity as she washed the dishes was whether the miracle would include Marvin. Probably not, because he was not a physical research man, much less a medical research man. When the dishes were finished, she went down to the shore, Agricola following as usual. She mounted the rock and looked toward the west. The birches were doing off their gold to stand in silver. The hill was dark, but the sky was rich and deep. She turned toward her island, over which the moon would later rise, and saw a flotilla of little frozen clouds. They seemed like Dante’s celestial rose of white, each petal a redeemed soul. They were more angels than she had ever seen men in one day, and the littlest petals were the souls of children, which always behold the face of their Father. Under this so sudden enchantment the wonder of her father’s news was gradually forgot. Her eye traveled up the river, and her brother seemed curiously near. How often she had seen him come sailing home, with brown throat bare to the winds and head thrown back to snuff the breeze.