Page:Hornung - Fathers of Men.djvu/67

 And Jan, remembering that ready laugh of old, and how little had always served to ring a hearty peal, saw nothing forced or hurtful in it now, but joined in himself with a shamefaced chuckle.

"It is funny, isn't it?" he mumbled. "Me being here!"

"I know!" said Evan, with laughing eyes fixed none the less curiously on Jan.

"When did you get back?" inquired Jan, speedily embarrassed by the comic side.

"Only just this afternoon. I went and had mumps at home."

"That was a bad job," said Jan, solemnly. "It must have spoilt your holidays."

"It did, rather."

"You wouldn't expect to find me here, I suppose?"

"Never thought of it till I heard your name called over and saw it was you. I hear you're in Bob's house?"

"In Mr. Heriot's," affirmed Jan, respectfully.

"We don't 'mister' 'em behind their backs," said Evan, in tears of laughter. "It's awfully funny," he explained, "but I'm awfully glad to see you."

"Thanks," said Jan. "But it's not such fun for me, you know."

"I should have thought you'd like it awfully," remarked Evan, still looking the new Jan merrily up and down.

"After the stables, I suppose you mean?"

Evan was more than serious in a moment.

"I wasn't thinking of them," he declared, with an indignant flush.

"But I was!" cried Jan. "And I'd give something to be back in them, if you want to know!"

"You won't feel like that long," said Evan, reassuringly.