Mabel went up-stairs, and Amy ran off to the garden--her first object was the fruit trees, to see if any were on the ground--she found none--but many beautiful ripe peaches were on one tree, which was carefully trained against the wall, and one finer than the rest, perfectly ready, and peeping out from the leaves, looked peculiarly tempting. She stopped to look, then felt it gently, then tried to see if it were loose, till one unfortunate push, and the peach tumbled to the ground. Amy looked frightened, and gazed round to see if any one was in sight, but seeing no one, she picked it up, and began to eat it. Suddenly the awful step of old John was heard coming from the cucumber-bed. "How did you get that peach, miss?" he said, roughly. The child turned red, but answered quickly, "I picked it up." "Well, I would not have lost that peach," said he, "for half-a-dozen others. Miss Mabel told me to save half-a-dozen for Mr. Ware, and this was the best of the lot--I shan't have such another beauty this year. Oh, miss." "But you said I might have all I picked up," answered Amy, clinging to her subterfuge. "Yes; but I thought this was too firm to fall, watching it as I did too," said he, as he looked in consternation from the tree to the half eaten peach in Amy's hand. The child was not long in taking advantage of his silence, and ran into the house just in time to take up the French lesson before Mabel returned. There was a look of indignation not easily mistaken by Amy on her sister's face, when she entered the room. "Oh, Amy," she said, in tones of anger and surprise. Amy looked up, but said nothing--she was frightened, for she knew that she had been doing wrong. "I did not think," said Mabel, while an expression of contempt curled her beautiful lip, "I did not think you could be so mean as to screen yourself from blame by a falsehood." Amy was going to speak, but her sister interrupted her. "I know every word you would say; but it is all, all wrong. I heard every word, and I dare say, guessed every thought. You did not really mean to pick the peach, but you could not resist the temptation to loosen its hold. When it fell, you were surprised and sorry; but you could not resist the temptation to eat, because you were alone, and thought that no one saw you; then, when John came, you turned coward, because you were wrong, and told him you had picked it up--and this was true, though it was also true that you were the means of knocking it down first--so you had neither the courage to speak the truth, nor tell a falsehood." Mabel spoke quickly and impetuously, and as the whole truth glared on the child's mind, the hot tears fell quickly on her burning cheek. "You do not love me, Mabel," she said. "Because I will not let you be mean, deceitful, and wicked. What would papa have said had he seen his child act so?" "Oh, forgive me, dear Mabel, and do not talk like that," said Amy.