He put his work away, lingered for a moment in hesitation over the myrtle sprays, and then locked them in his desk with an odd feeling that he had secured in some vague way a hold upon Cressy's future vagaries; then reflecting that Uncle Ben, whom he had seen in town, would probably keep holiday with the others, he resolved to wait no longer, but strolled back to the hotel.

The act however had not recalled Uncle Ben to him by any association of ideas, for since his discovery of Johnny Filgee's caricature he had failed to detect anything to corroborate the caricaturist's satire, and had dismissed the subject from his mind.
On entering his room at the hotel he found Rupert Filgee standing moodily by the window, while his brother Johnny, overcome by a repletion of excitement and collation, was asleep on the single arm-chair.

Their presence was not unusual, as Mr.Ford, touched by the loneliness of these motherless boys, had often invited them to come to his rooms to look over his books and illustrated papers.
"Well ?" he said cheerfully.
Rupert did not reply or change his position.

Mr.Ford, glancing at him sharply, saw a familiar angry light in the boy's beautiful eyes, slightly dimmed by a tear.

Laying his hand gently on Rupert's shoulder he said, "What's the matter, Rupert ?" "Nothin'," said the boy doggedly, with his eyes still fixed on the pane.
"Has--has--Mrs.Tripp" (the fair proprietress) "been unkind ?" he went on lightly.
No reply.
"You know, Rupe," continued Mr.Ford demurely, "she must show SOME reserve before company--like to-day.