"I wonder if there is another man in all the world like my father?" Allan said.
"Bless you, heaps and heaps and a sight better. But there’s one thing, Allan, there’s never a father in this world as knows and loves his son as I know and love mine and so—so boy—out with it, out with it now and here."
They had come to a shady place, under the tall yews. Here was an inviting seat and on the seat Sir Josiah settled himself and drew Allan down beside him.
"Out with it—with what, father?" Allan asked lamely.
"Why out with what’s worrying you, my boy; do you think I didn’t see it, do you think when I saw you first thing this morning and took just one look at you I didn’t see it there—there in your face and eyes? Why bless you, of course I did; it ain’t money, Allan?"
"I knew that, then what is it? Not—not trouble, nothing amiss with—between you and her?"
"Thank God!" the old man said. "And so—so it isn’t that and therefore it can’t be anything bad—so I’m waiting, Allan, waiting, dear lad, tell me."
"Father, if I did you could not understand."
"I’d try, Allan," the old man said simply.
"Then, by Heaven I will tell you, father, and you shall try and understand, though—though if you do, you will be more clever than I, for I cannot understand." Allan lifted his hand to his head for a moment.
"Do you remember something that you told me once about—an ancestor of ours—whose name was the same as mine—a labourer here—a gardener, who married his mistress’ serving maid?"
"And whose son went to London and took over the Green Gates in Aldgate—why of course I do!"
"Well," said Allan quietly, "that’s it——"
Sir Josiah looked at him. "God bless my soul!" he said, and if ever there were mystification on a man’s face, it was on his.
"Father, do you believe that the soul can outlast and outlive not one earthly body, but many, ten, a hundred, a thousand, that when the body perishes as all things earthly must perish, the soul can and does find another dwelling place? Ah! I don’t make myself clear." He broke off, seeing the mystification deepen in the old man’s face. "I am afraid I never can. Think this out, father, a man dies, the body perishes, but the soul, the ego, the spirit lives on. It finds another body, which it animates for good or for evil, it completes another life, and then all happens over again. Each time the body dies, the soul passes through oblivion and returns to earth——"