"Sisty," she said, in a low voice which struggled to be firm, "promise me that you will tell me all,--the worst, Sisty. They keep it from me, and that is my hardest punishment; for when I don't know all that he--that Austin suffers, it seems to me as if I had lost his heart. Oh, Sisty! My child, my child, don't fear me! I shall be happy whatever befalls us, if I once get back my privilege--my privilege, Sisty, to comfort, to share!--do you understand me?" "Yes, indeed, my mother! And with your good sense, and clear woman's wit, if you will but feel how much we want them, you will be the best counsellor we could have. So never fear, you and I will have no secrets." My mother kissed me, and went away with a less heavy step. As I re-entered, my father came across the room and embraced me. "My son," he said in a faltering voice, "if your modest prospects in life are ruined--" "Father, father, can you think of me at such a moment! Me!--Is it possible to ruin the young, and strong, and healthy! Ruin me, with these thews and sinews!--ruin me, with the education you have given me--thews and sinews of the mind! Oh no! there, Fortune is harmless! And you forget, sir,--the saffron bag!" Squills leapt up, and, wiping his eyes with one hand, gave me a sounding slap on the shoulder with the other. "I am proud of the care I took of your infancy, Master Caxton. That comes of strengthening the digestive organs in early childhood. Such sentiments are a proof of magnificent ganglions in a perfect state of order. When a man's tongue is as smooth as I am sure yours is, he slips through misfortune like an eel." I laughed outright, my father smiled faintly; and seating myself, I drew towards me a paper filled with Squills' memoranda, and said, "Now to find the unknown quantity. What on earth is this? 'Supposed value of books, £750.' Oh, father! this is impossible. I was prepared for anything but that. Your books--they are your life!" "Nay," said my father; "after all, they are the offending party in this case, and so ought to be the principal victims. Besides, I believe I know most of them by heart. But, in truth, we are only entering all our effects, to be sure (added my father proudly) that, come what may, we are not dishonoured." "Humour him," whispered Squills; "we will save the Books." Then he added aloud, as he laid finger and thumb on my pulse, "One, two, three, about seventy--capital pulse--soft and full--he can bear the whole: let us administer it." My father nodded--"Certainly. But, Pisistratus, we must manage your dear mother. Why she should think of blaming herself, because poor Jack took wrong ways to enrich us, I cannot understand. But, as I have had occasion before to remark, Sphinx and Enigma are nouns feminine." My poor father! that was a vain struggle for thy wonted innocent humour. The lips quivered.