Part 70 (1/2)

”I don't want to see them, uncle,” said Tom quietly

”Not to-day perhaps, but you will, ether; we neither of us want to talk about it now”

”No, uncle, of course not”

Uncle Richard placed the big envelope in the drawer and locked it up, placing the keys in his pocket; but directly after he took theain, and opened the drawer in which lay several other legal-looking docue envelopes

”Get e envelopes, To fetched from the table-drawer, the important deeds were slipped in, fastened down, and the envelope afterwards tied round in the most business-like ith red tape After which a wax--wax, and sta

”There, o and see h of relief as the docuht of them troubled him He felt in a way that he could not have explained, as if he were in some way answerable for the sha so like restraint between hirined by his brother's conduct

”I shan't be in any hurry to have theht Toan hurriedly to talk about the speculu will it be before we are able to--to what yousadly

”Yes, uncle,” cried Toht, so that we can have a look at the moon”

”It will be soh; and Tom felt startled, for it see countenance before hirown older, and the lines in it more deeply-ood as finished”

”Yes, my boy, but duty first and pleasure after While I have been doing this little bit of business other things have crossed ain to-morrow”

”To Uncle Ja, yes It is painful, o”

To that his uncle was behaving differently to him For his words were cold and ht, pleasant way of a couple of days back At the same time, it was not that there was a division between them, but as if Uncle Richard treated hiraver, and there was a confidential tone in his voice which rown older all at once

”Shall you want o with you, uncle?” said Tom at last

Uncle Richard looked at hio, To eyes would take no denial, and forced hi which seemed to choke him, and spoke out hurriedly

”Don't think rateful, uncle,” he cried

”I'ive Uncle James, but I never did, and never can feel, as if I liked hiht to I will”

”I do not say you ought to, Toravely; ”but as his brother, I feel that I ry with me, uncle?”

”No, boy I like the way in which you have spoken out I could not have stood it, To and been hypocritical

There, noill leave the subject I shall go up again to- any little thing toand ho”