her arms about me, pressing closer and closer to me.

"O Martin, my boy! my darling!" she sobbed, "thank God you are come back
safe! Oh, I have been very rebellious, very unbelieving. I ought to have
known that you would be safe. Oh, I am thankful!"

"So am I, mother," I said, kissing her, "and very hungry into the
bargain."

I knew that would check her hysterical excitement. She looked up at me
with smiles and tears on her face; but the smiles won the day.

"That is so like you, Martin," she said; "I believe your ghost would say
those very words. You are always hungry when you come home. Well, my
boy shall have the best breakfast in Guernsey. Sit down, then, and let
me wait upon you."

That was just what pleased her most whenever I came in from some ride
into the country. She was a woman with fondling, caressing little ways,
such as Julia could no more perform gracefully than an elephant could
waltz. My mother enjoyed fetching my slippers, and warming them herself
by the fire, and carrying away my boots when I took them off. No servant
was permitted to do any of these little offices for me--that is, when my
father was out of the way. If he was there, my mother sat still, and
left me to wait on myself, or ring for a servant, Never in my
recollection had she done any thing of the kind for my father. Had she
watched and waited upon him thus in the early days of their married
life, until some neglect or unfaithfulness of his had cooled her love
for him? I sat down as she bade me, and had my slippers brought, and
felt her fingers passed fondly through my hair.