“Give the devil his due,” interposed Ashburn; “you know very well that the whole concern would have gone if it hadn’t been for that young feller.” “What young fellow? where?” “Why here,” said Silas, pulling forward our young stranger; “this here chap.” “Young man,” began Mr. Keene,--but at the moment, up came somebody with a light, and while Clarissa retreated behind Mr. Ashburn, the stranger was recognised by her aunt and uncle as Charles Darwin. “Charles! what on earth brought you here?” “Ask Clary,” said Ashburn, with grim jocoseness. Mr. Keene turned mechanically to obey; but Clarissa had disappeared. “Well! I guess I can tell you something about it, if nobody else won’t,” said Ashburn; “I’m something of a Yankee, and it’s my notion that there was some sparkin’ a goin’ on in your kitchin, and that somehow or other the young folks managed to set it a-fire.” The old folks looked more puzzled than ever. “_Do_ speak, Charles,” said Mr. Keene; “what _does_ it all mean? Did you set my house on fire?” “I’m afraid I must have had some hand in it, sir,” said Charles, whose self-possession seemed quite to have deserted him. “You!” exclaimed Mr. Keene; “and I’ve been laying it to this man!” “Yes! you know’d I owed you a spite, on account o’ that plaguy bee-tree,” said Ashburn; “a guilty conscience needs no accuser. But you was much mistaken if you thought I was sich a bloody-minded villain as to burn your gimcrackery for that! If I could have paid you for it, fair and even, I’d ha’ done it with all my heart and soul. But I don’t set men’s houses a-fire when I get mad at ’em.” “But you threatened vengeance,” said Mr. Keene. “So I did, but that was when I expected to get it by law, though; and this here young man knows that, if he’d only speak.” Thus adjured, Charles did speak, and so much to the purpose that it did not take many minutes to convince Mr. Keene that Ashburn’s evil-mindedness was bounded by the limits of the law, that precious privilege of the Wolverine. But there was still the mystery of Charles’s apparition, and in order to its full unravelment, the blushing Clarissa had to be enticed from her hiding-place, and brought to confession. And then it was made clear that she, with all her innocent looks, was the moving cause of the mighty mischief. She it was who encouraged Charles to believe that her uncle’s anger would not last forever; and this had led Charles to venture into the neighbourhood; and it was while consulting together, (on this particular point, of course,) that they managed to set the kitchen curtain on fire.