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 to France with me. He will be better off there."

The child's grandmother—and it was astonishing what a resemblance the child bore to James—sniffed a little at this and pretended to an affection which it was obvious that she did not feel, but in the end she conceded that the boy would be better off with his uncle.

"Then that is settled," said Edward. "But you may keep him, if you will, until I sail."

Edward reached home in time for dinner. He was childishly pleased with himself. He felt that he had met a difficult situation and mastered it.

And he felt very proud to think that at his age he could make himself financially responsible for the keep of an old blind woman and the proper rearing and education of his nephew. He felt that he had done just what dear old John would have wished him to do.

A week later came the first letter that he had ever received from Anne. She missed him so that her heart was breaking. She would never be bad again. And he must love her more than he had ever loved her before, because—well, she could have told him before he sailed, but she hadn't been perfectly sure, and she hadn't wanted to worry him. But she was sure now. There was no doubt. She had been to an old woman who knew all about such things. ..