I missed the old candour and open-hearted frankness that he had always shown; and there seemed to be always something in the background which he was trying to keep from me.
It was obvious that his thoughts were constantly elsewhere, so much so that on more than one occasion he returned vague and incoherent answers to my questions.

At times I was content to believe that he was in love, and that his thoughts were with Miss Constance Temple; but even so, I could not persuade myself that his altered manner was to be thus entirely accounted for.

At other times a dazed air, entirely foreign to his bright disposition, which I observed particularly in the morning, raised in my mind the terrible suspicion that he was in the habit of taking some secret narcotic or other deleterious drug.
We had never spent a Christmas away from Worth Maltravers, and it had always been a season of quiet joy for both of us.

But under these altered circumstances it was a great relief and cause of thankfulness to me to receive a letter from Mrs.Temple inviting us both to spend Christmas and New Year at Royston.

This invitation had upon my brother precisely the effect that I had hoped for.