Captain Danton smoked and Grace talked to him; and while she sat, Father Francis opened the garden gate and joined them.
"Have you heard from your brother yet ?" he asked of Grace, after a few moments' preliminary conversation.
"No; it is rather strange that he does not write." "He told me to make his apologies.

I had a letter from him to-day.

He is very busy preparing to go away." "Go away! Go where ?" "To Germany; he leaves in a week." "And will he not come down to say good-bye ?" inquired Grace, indignantly.
"Oh, certainly! He will be here in a day or two." "And how long is he going to stay abroad ?" "That seems uncertain.

A year or two, probably, at the very least." Grace stole a look at Kate, but Kate had drawn back into the shadow of the porch, and her face was not to be seen.

Father Francis lingered for half an hour, and then departed; and as the dew was falling heavily, the group in the porch arose to go in.