Reginald Cruden | Page 5

details which occupy
mourners in the house of death. For some time Mrs Cruden, prostrated
by the shock of her bereavement, was unable to leave her room, and the
burden of the care fell on the two inexperienced boys, who had to face
it almost single-handed.
For the Crudens had no near relatives in England, and those of their
friends who might have been of service at such a time feared to intrude,
and so stayed away. Blandford and Harker, the boys' two friends who

had been visiting at Garden Vale at the time of Mr Cruden's death, had
left as quietly and considerately as possible; and so great was the
distraction of those few sad days that no one even noticed their absence
till letters of condolence arrived from each.
It was a dreary week, and Reginald, on whom, as the elder son and the
heir to the property, the chief responsibility rested, was of the two least
equal to the emergency.
"I don't know what I should have done without you, old man," said he
to Horace on the evening before the funeral, when, all the preparations
being ended, the two boys strolled dismally down towards the river.
"You ought to have been the eldest son. I should never have thought of
half the things there were to be done if you hadn't been here."
"Of course, mother would have known what was to be done," said
Horace, "if she hadn't been laid up. She's to get up this evening."
"Well, I shall be glad when to-morrow's over," said Reginald; "it's
awful to have it all hanging over one like this. I can't believe father was
alive a week ago, you know."
"No more can I," said the other; "and I'm certain we shall not realise
how we miss him for long enough yet."
They walked on for some distance in silence, each full of his own
reflections.
Then Horace said, "Mother is sure to want to stay on here, she's so fond
of the place."
"Yes, it's a comfort she won't have to move. By the way, I wonder if
she will want us to leave Wilderham and stay at home now."
"I fancy not. Father wanted you to go to Oxford in a couple of years,
and she is sure not to change his plan."
"Well, I must say," said Reginald, "if I am to settle down as a country

gentleman some day, I shall be glad to have gone through college and
all that sort of thing before. If I go up in two years, I shall have finished
before I'm twenty-three. Hullo, here's mother!"
The boys ran forward to greet Mrs Cruden, who, pale but smiling, came
quietly down the garden towards them, and after a fond embrace laid
her hands on the arm of each and walked slowly on between them.
"You two brave boys," said she, and there was a cheery ring in her
voice that sent comfort into the hearts of both her sons, "how sorry I am
to think of all you have had to go through, while I, like a silly weak
woman, have been lying in bed."
"Oh, mother," said Horace, with a face that reflected already the
sunshine of hers, "how absurd to talk like that! I don't believe you
ought to be out here now."
"Oh yes, I ought. I've done with that, and I am strong enough now to
stand beside the boys who have stood so bravely by their mother."
"We'd be a nice pair of boys if we didn't, eh, Reg?" said Horace.
Reginald's reply was a pressure of his mother's hand, and with a
rainbow of smiles over their sorrowful hearts the three walked on
lovingly together; the mother with many a brave, cheery word striving
to lift her sons above their trouble, not only to hope of earthly comfort,
but to trust in that great Father of the fatherless, beside whom all the
love of this world is poor and fleeting.
At length they turned to go in, and Mrs Cruden said,--
"There is a letter from Mr Richmond, the lawyer, saying he will call
this evening to talk over some business matters. I suppose he will be
here by now."
"Couldn't he have waited till after to-morrow?" said Horace.
"He particularly asked to come to-night," said the mother. "At any rate,

I would like you both to be with me while he is here. We must not have
any secrets from one another now."
"I suppose it's about the will or the estate," said Reginald.
"I suppose so. I don't know," said Mrs Cruden. "Mr Richmond always
managed your father's business affairs, you know, so he will be able to
tell us how matters stand."
They reached the house, and found Mr Richmond