Julius had arrived, and was helping Sophia to hang the holly and mistletoe.

But Sandal knew that his soul shrank from the nephew he had called into his life; knew that the sound of his voice irritated him, that his laugh filled him with resentment, that his very presence in the house seemed to desecrate it, and to slay for him the very idea of home.
He was sitting in the "master's room," wondering how the change had come about.

But he found nothing to answer the wonder, because he was looking for some palpable wrong, some distinctive time or cause.

He was himself too simple-hearted to reflect that it is seldom a great fault which destroys liking for a person.

A great fault can be forgiven.