It was not long, however, before he made his
appearance again; he came running in almost out of breath, and cried
at the top of his voice,
"I have discovered him!"
"Whom?" exclaimed half a dozen voices.
"The inhabitant of the moon?" inquired Ernest.
"No."
"I know," said Sophia playfully, "your go-cart and my doll."
"No, I have discovered Willis' secret."
"If you have been watching him, it is very wrong."
"No, father; seeing some thin columns of smoke rising out of a
thicket, I thought a bush was on fire; but on going nearer, I saw that
it was only a tobacco-pipe."
"Was the pipe alone, brother?"
"No, not exactly, it was in Willis' mouth; and there he sat, so
completely immersed in ideas and smoke, that he neither heard nor saw
me."
"That he does not smoke here," remarked Becker, "I can easily
understand; but why conceal it?"
"Ah," replied Mrs. Wolston, "you do not know Willis yet;--beneath that
rough exterior there are feelings that would grace a coronet: he is,
no doubt, afraid of leading your sons into the habit."
"That is very thoughtful and considerate on his part."
"He was always smoking on board ship, and it must have been a great
sacrifice for him to leave it off to the extent he has done lately."
"Then we shall not allow him to punish himself any longer; and as for
the danger of contagion from his smoking here, that evil may perhaps
be avoided.
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