Dr. Pearson, before seeing Gerald, had taken time to consider his action, and to inform Mr. Brandiston what it would be. Being alone with Gerald, he went through the facts of the case one by one, pointing out their seriousness, and asking if he wished to offer any comment upon any one of them; he begged him to realise how strongly they told against him (to this Gerald assented), but he added that he gave him the fullest credit for his hitherto unblemished moral character. He concluded the interview in these words: ‘Eversley, I have now put the case fully before you. I do not wish you to answer at once. I wish you to take twenty-four hours to consider. Come to me to-morrow at nine o’clock, and I will ask you what you have to say in face of this strong evidence. I am sure you will tell me the truth.’ Gerald went away. Were the twenty-four hours a respite, or an aggravation, of his doom? Just at this time he received a letter from his father. Mr. Eversley had been informed by Mr. Brandiston of the action which he had felt it his duty to take in Gerald’s case. The news shocked and staggered Mr. Eversley. It is possible that Mr. Brandiston, as taking a strong view himself, put his view in too strong a light before Mr. Eversley. The desire that others should see things as we see them lies deep down in human nature. Or it is possible that the dread lest the charge should be true was the shadow cast by Mr. Eversley’s own affection for his son. He did not, indeed, write as if he believed Gerald to be guilty. He told him how earnestly he hoped that he were innocent. But he dwelt upon the heinousness of cheating, as a sin against God. He exhorted Gerald, if he had done wrong, if in a moment of weakness (and we are all weak) he had yielded to the Tempter, not to deny what he had done, not to defend or excuse himself, but, for his immortal soul’s sake, to make confession and reparation, and to endure any penalty rather than stain his soul with a lie. ‘And Joshua said unto Achan’--Mr. Eversley quoted the passage--‘My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.’ Gerald read the letter, and re-read it, then he put it away in his pocket. His heart was sad. Punctually at nine o’clock the next morning he stood before Dr. Pearson. ‘I have shown you, Eversley,’ said the head master, ‘what the evidence against you is, and having done so, I put to you the question, Did you see Mr. Brandiston’s examination paper before the time when it was set to the form in school?’ ‘No, sir,’ answered Gerald, ‘I did not.’ ‘Have you any idea of the means by which a second copy of the paper came into your room?’ said Dr. Pearson. ‘No, sir, none at all,’ was the answer. Gerald Eversley gave these answers with a blushing cheek; but Dr. Pearson, not being a man of so much experience as Mr. Brandiston, did not draw from it an unfavourable inference. Dr. Pearson continued: