He had seen the distinguished party arrive at the desk, preceded by a
host of bell-boys with shawls and luggage. On the other hand, some of the
distinguished party had watched the proceeding of paying off the band
with no little amusement. Miss Janet Duncan had giggled audibly, her
mother had smiled, while her father and Mr. Worthington had pretended to
be deeply occupied with the hotel register. Somers was not there. Bob
Worthington laughed heartily with the rest until his eye, travelling down
the line of Jethro's progress, fell on Cynthia, and now he was striding
across the floor toward them. And even in the horrible confusion of that
moment Cynthia had a vagrant thought that his clothes had an enviable cut
and became him remarkably.

"Well, of all things, to find you here!" he cried; "this is the best luck
that ever happened. I am glad to see you. I was going to steal away to
Brampton for a couple of days before the term opened, and I meant to look
you up there. And Mr. Bass," said Bob, turning to Jethro, "I'm glad to
see you too."

Jethro looked at the young man and smiled and held out his hand. It was
evident that Bob was blissfully unaware that hostilities between powers
of no mean magnitude were about to begin; that the generals themselves
were on the ground, and that he was holding treasonable parley with the
enemy. The situation appealed to Jethro, especially as he glanced at the
backs of the two gentlemen facing the desk. These backs seemed to him
full of expression. "Th-thank you, Bob, th-thank you," he answered.

"I like the way you fixed that band," said Bob; "I haven't laughed as
much for a year. You hate music, don't you? I hope you'll forgive that
awful noise we made outside of your house last July, Mr. Bass."