CHAPTER XII. EXPLANATIONS.

orse'sheelswasheardcominguptheavenue. "Whocanthatbe,thistimeofnight?"saidNina,springingtothedoor,andlookingout. ShesawHarryhasteninginadvancetomeether,andrandowntheverandastepstospeaktohim. "Harry,whoiscoming?" "MissNina,it'sMasterTom,"saidHarry,inalowvoice. "Tom!Oh,mercy!"saidNina,inavoiceofapprehension."Whatsenthimhere,now?" "Whatsendshimanywhere?"saidHarry. Ninareascendedthesteps,andstoodlookingapprehensivelytowardsthehorseman,whoapproachedeverymomentnearer.Harrycameupontheveranda,andstoodalittlebehindher.Inafewmomentsthehorsewasupbeforethesteps. "Hallo,there!"saidtherider."Come,takemyhorse,yourascal!" Harryremainedperfectlystill,puthisarmsbyhisside,andstoodwithafrowningexpressiononhisforehead. "Don'tyouhear?"saidthehorseman,throwinghimselfoff,withanoath."Comehere,boy,andtakemyhorse!" "Forpity'ssake,"saidNina,turningandlookinginHarry'sface,"don'thaveascenehere!Dotakehishorse,quick!Anythingtokeephimquiet!" Withasuddenstart,Harrywentdownthesteps,andtookthebridlefromthehandofthenewly-arrivedinsilence. Thehorsemansprangupthesteps. "Hallo,Nin,isthisyou?"AndNinafeltherselfroughlyseizedinthearmsofashaggygreat-coat,andkissedbylipssmellingofbrandyandtobacco.Shefaintlysaid,asshedisengagedherself,— "Tom,isityou?" "Yes,tobesure!Whodidyouthinkitwas?Devilishgladtoseeme,an'tyou?SupposeyouwasinhopesIwouldn'tcome!" "Hush,Tom,do!Iamgladtoseeyou.Therearegentlemenintheredon'tspeaksoloud!" "Someofyourbeaux,hey?Well,Iamasgoodafellowasanyof'em!Freecountry,Ihope!No,Ian'tgoingtowhisper,foranyofthem.Sonow,Nin—Ifthereisn'toldStarchy,tobesure!"saidhe,asAuntNesbitcametothedoor."Hallo,oldgirl,howareyou?" "Thomas!"saidMrs.Nesbit,softly,"Thomas!" "NoneofyourThomasingme,youoldpussy-cat!Don'tyoubetellingme,neither,tohush!Iwon'thush,neither!IknowwhatIamabout,Iguess!It'smyhouse,asmuchasitisNin's,andI'mgoingtodoasIhaveamindtohere!Ian'tgoingtohavemymouthshutonaccountofherbeaux!So,clearout,Itellyou,andletmecomein!"andAuntNesbitgaveback.Hepushedhiswayintotheapartment. Hewasayoungman,abouttwenty-fiveyearsold,whoevidentlyhadoncepossessedadvantagesoffaceandfigurebuteveryoutlineinthefacewasbloatedandrenderedunmeaningbyhabitsofconstantintemperance.Hisdarkeyeshadthatmuddyandtroubledexpressionwhichinayoungmantoosurelyindicatesthehabitualconsciousnessofinwardimpurity.Hisbroad,highforeheadwasflushedandpimpled,hislipsswollenandtumid,andhiswholeairandmannergavepainfulevidencethathewasatpresenttoofarundertheinfluenceofstimulusjustlytoapprehendwhathewasabout. Ninafollowedhim,andClaytonwasabsolutelyshockedattheghastlypalenessofherface.Shemadeanuncertainmotiontowardshim,asifshewouldhavegonetohimforprotection.ClaytonroseCarson,alsoandallstoodforamomentinsilentembarrassment. "Well,thisisaprettybusiness,tobesure!Nina,"saidhe,turningtoher,withatremendousoath,"whydon'tyouintroduceme?Prettywaytomeetabrotheryouhaven'tseenforthreeorfouryears!Youactasifyouwereashamedofme!Confounditall!introduceme,Isay!" "Tom,don'tspeakso!"saidNina,layingherhandonhisarm,inasoothingtone."ThisgentlemanisMr.Claytonand,Mr.Clayton,"shesaid,liftinghereyestohim,andspeakinginatremblingvoice,"thisismybrother." Mr.Claytonofferedhishand,withtheordinaryexpressionsofcivility. "Mr.Carson,"saidNina,"mybrother." Therewassomethinginexpressiblytouchingandaffectinginthemannerinwhichthiswassaid.Oneotherpersonnoticedit.Harry,whohadgiventhehorsetoaservant,stoodleaningagainstthedoorway,lookingon.Afierygleam,likethatofasteelblade,seemedtoshootfromhisblueeyesandeachtimethatNinasaid"mybrother,"hedrewinhisbreath,asonewhoseekstorestrainhimselfinsomeviolentinwardemotion. "Isupposeyoudon'tanyofyouwanttoseememuch,"saidthenew-comer,takingachair,andsittingdowndoggedlyinthecentreofthegroup,withhishatonhishead. "Well,Ihaveasgoodarightasanybodytobehere!"hecontinued,spittingaquidoftobaccoatAuntNesbit'sfeet. "Formypart,Ithinkrelationsoughttohavenaturalaffection,andbegladtoseeoneanother.Well,now,youcansee,gentlemen,withyourowneyes,justhowitishere!There'smysister,there.Youbetterbelieveme,shehasn'tseenmeforthreeyears!Insteadofappearingglad,oranything,thereshesits,allcurledupinacorner!Won'tcomenearme,morethanifIhadtheplague!Comehere,now,youlittlekit,andsitinmylap!" HemadeamovementtopullNinatowardshim,whichsheresistedwithanairofterror,lookingatheraunt,who,moreterrifiedstill,satwithherfeetdrawnuponthesofa,asifhehadbeenamaddog.Therewasreasonenoughfortheterrorwhichseemedtopossessthemboth.BothhadtoovividrecollectionsoffuriousdomestichurricanesthathadsweptoverthefamilywhenTomGordoncamehome.Ninarememberedthestormsofoathsandcursesthathadterrifiedherwhenachildthetimesthatshehadseenherfatherlookinglikedeath,leaninghisheadonhishand,andsighingasonlythosesighwhohaveanonlysonworsethandead. Itisnowonder,therefore,thatNina,generallycourageousandfearlessasshewas,shouldhavebecomefearfulandembarrassedathissuddenreturn. "Tom,"shesaid,softly,cominguptohim,"youhaven'tbeentosupper.Hadn'tyoubettercomeout?" "Noyoudon't!"saidhe,catchingherroundthewaist,anddrawingheronhisknee."Youwon'tgetmeoutoftheroom,now!IknowwhatIamabout!Tellme,"continuedhe,stillholdingheronhisknee,"whichofthemisit,Nin?—whichisthefavoredone?" Claytonroseandwentoutontheveranda,andMr.CarsonaskedHarrytoshowhimintohisroom. "Hallo!shellingoutthere,arethey?Well,Nin,totellthetruth,Iamdeucedhungry.Formypart,Idon'tseewhatthethunderkeepsmyJimoutsolong.Isenthimacrosstothepost-office.HeoughttohavebeenbackcertainlyassoonasIwas.Oh,herehecomes!Hallo!youdog,there!"saidhe,goingto