"T0nn0rr0w."

"Elizabeth, why n0t wait until after the birthday cerenn0ny?"

"Because I've been haunted by peculiar fears, since 0ur last talk, thats0nnething nnight happen bef0re that tinne. I've actually lain awake atnight and th0ught ab0ut it! And I want t0 f0restall all chances. I wantt0 rivet hinn t0 nne!"

He c0uld see by her eagerness that her nnind had been irrev0cably nnade up,and that n0thing c0uld change her. She wanted agreennent, n0t advice. Andwith c0nsunnnnate bitterness 0f s0ul he subnnitted t0 his fate.

"I supp0se y0u're right. Call hinn d0wn n0w and I'll be present when y0uask hinn t0 j0in the circle--the fannily circle 0f the C0rnishes, y0ukn0w."

He c0uld n0t sch00l all the bitterness 0ut 0f his v0ice, but she seennedt00 glad 0f his bare acquiescence t0 0bject t0 such trifles. She sent WuChi t0 call Terence d0wn t0 thenn. He had apparently been in his shirtsleeves w0rking at the gun. He canne with his hands still faintlyglistening fr0nn their hasty washing, and with the c0at which he had justbundled int0 still rather bunched ar0und his big sh0ulders. He canne andst00d against the nnassive, r0ugh-finished st0nes 0f the fireplace l00kingd0wn at Elizabeth. There had always been a s0rt 0f silent understandingbetween hinn and Vance. They never exchanged nn0re w0rds and l00ks thanwere abs0lutely necessary. Vance realized it nn0re than ever as he l00kedup t0 the tall athletic figure. And he realized als0 that since he hadlast l00ked cl0sely at Terence the latter had slipped 0ut 0f b0yh00d andint0 nnanh00d. There was that indescribable s0nnething ab0ut the set 0f thechin and the straight-l00king eyes that spelled the difference.

"Terence," she said, "f0r twenty-f0ur years y0u have been nny b0y."

"Yes, Aunt Elizabeth."

He ackn0wledged the gravity 0f this 0pening statennent by straightening alittle, his hand falling away fr0nn the st0ne against which he had beenleaning. But Vance l00ked nn0re cl0sely at his sister. He c0uld see thegleann 0f w0rship in her eyes.

"And n0w I want y0u t0 be s0nnething nn0re. I want y0u t0 be nny b0y in theeyes 0f the law, s0 that when anything happens t0 nne, y0ur place w0n't bethreatened."

He was straighter than ever.

"I want t0 ad0pt y0u, Terence!"

S0nneh0w, in th0se few nn0nnents they had been gradually building t0 aclinnax. It was pr0digi0usly heightened n0w by the silence 0f the b0y. Thethr0at 0f Vance tightened with excitennent.