Our Gentleman Boarder 



Scroggins," which he only did at Christmas, 

 as a rule. But if to us the evening proved 

 disappointingly dull and sleepy, I know 

 now that for the others it was a trial time 

 indeed, oppressive with its demand for 

 assumed confidence and jollity, in every 

 lull of which the ever present though 

 unacknowledged trouble leapt up and took 

 one by the throat. My interest in the 

 proceedings revived a little when Esther, 

 anxious to end one such ominous pause, 

 broke into guessing at the various treasures 

 and curiosities Mr. Trevanion would bring 

 home with him in a twelvemonth's time. 

 Fred asked for a monkey, and I bargained 

 for a parrot and a baby tiger ; but even 

 that pleasure was fleeting, for on turning 

 to my Mother with ''What'll you choose, 

 mother ? It's your turn now ! " I found 

 she was quietly crying to herself over her 

 knitting ; which put me quite out of 

 countenance. 



Next morning, and a cheerless drizzling 

 day it was, Mr. Trevanion bade us all 

 good-bye. He was very pale, and looked 

 far more like the '' melancholy gentleman " 

 than he had done when he arrived that 

 hot summer afternoon. I noted with some 

 satisfaction that Mary and he and myself 

 were the only people who did not cry ; 

 ^33 



