And then he went home, and fought the battle of his life, with his own horrible dread of Mr. Castleford’s disappointment; of possible prosecution; of the shame at home; the misery of a life a second time blighted. He fought it out on his knees, many a time persuading himself that flight would not be a sin, then returning to the sense that it was a temptation of his worse self to be overcome. And by morning he knew that it would be a surrender of himself to his lower nature, and the evil spirit behind it; while, by facing the worst that could befall him, he would be falling into the hand of the Lord. CHAPTER XXIV. AFTER THE TEMPEST. ‘Nor deem the irrevocable past As wholly wasted, wholly vain, If rising on its wrecks at last To something nobler we attain.’ LONGFELLOW. ALL the rest of the family were out, and I was relieved by being alone with my distress, not forced to hide it, when the door opened and ‘Mr. Castleford’ was announced. After one moment’s look at me, one touch of my hand, he must have seen that I was faint with anxiety, and said, ‘It is all right, Edward; I see you know all. I am come from Bristol to tell your father that he may be proud of his son Clarence.’ I don’t know what I did. Perhaps I sobbed and cried, but the first words I could get out were, ‘Does he know? Oh! it may be too late. He may be gone off to sea!’ I cried, breaking out with my chief fear. Mr. Castleford looked astounded, then said, ‘I trust not. I sent off a special messenger last night, as soon as I saw my way—’ Then I breathed a little more freely, and could understand what he was telling me, namely, that Tooke had accused Clarence of abstracting £20 from the sum in his charge. The fellow accounted for it by explaining that young Winslow had been paying extravagant bills at a tavern, where the barmaid showed his presents, and boasted of her conquest. All this had been written to Mr. Castleford by his partner, and he was told that it was out of deference to himself that his _protégé_ was not in custody, nor had received notice of dismissal; but, no doubt, he would give his sanction to immediate measures, and communicate with the family. The effect had been to make the good man hurry at once from the Giant’s Causeway to Bristol, where he had arrived on Sunday, to investigate the books and examine the underlings. In the midst Tooke attempted to abscond, but he was brought back as he was embarking in an American vessel; and he then confessed the whole,—how speculation had led to dishonesty, and following evil customs not uncommon in other firms. Then, when the fugitive found that young Winslow was too acute to be blinded, and that it had been a still greater mistake to try to overcome his integrity, self-defence required his ruin, or at any rate his expulsion, before he could gain Mr. Castleford’s ear.