"It was a story papa told me once; and when Frank and I were sitting in the Zoological Gardens to-day, it flashed across me, and all at once I felt as if I had been standing on the edge of a precipice without knowing it." "Had you read your Bible as usual, dear, and prayed?" "Well, I'm afraid not, mamma," he said sadly; "we were so late, and so tired, and he kept on talking all the time; somehow—" "Yes, dear; I understand. Oh, Arthur, my child, it is a mercy that you have been saved. Now go down, my dear; it is getting late." He put his arms round her, and kissed her over and over again. How thankful he was afterwards that he had made this full confession, and been forgiven. "You do forgive me?" he said once more, coming back to her side. "Yes, fully and freely, my dear, dear boy." When Arthur re-entered the drawing room, Frank rose at once, and said aloud— "Come, Arthur; I could not think where you were. You know you promised to show me Regent Street by gaslight." "So late?" said Ada, looking up wondering. "We shall not be long, Ada," said Arthur; then passing her, he added low, "Mamma knows." When they slammed the front door behind them, Frank exclaimed irritably, "What a fool you have been; half our time is gone! I could not imagine where you could be. Come along; we shall have missed half of it!" They hurried along for a moment or two, and then Arthur slackened. "Too fast for you?" Frank asked, looking round annoyed. "No," said Arthur; "but I am not going to the theatre." "Not?" "No; I have only come into the street to tell you so quietly. Frank, I'm afraid you have been trying to lead me into evil." "Gammon!" said Frank. "If it is that, I'll say no more," said Arthur firmly; "but I thank God He has shown me where you were leading me, and has stopped me in time." Frank was going to add another angry word, but Arthur turned abruptly round and walked slowly home, followed, to his great surprise, by Frank. "Look here," he said, as they came near home, "though you've turned coward, don't you go and tell." "I've turned brave, and I have told," answered Arthur. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XII. SOWING AND REAPING. WHEN they came in from their short walk, Arthur went at once in among his brothers and sisters; but Frank, full of wrath and ill-humour, ascended to his own chamber. On the landing, however, outside Mrs. Arundel's door, he heard himself called. He entered the half-dark room, where the moonlight streamed on to the floor, the same moonlight which at Shellford was flooding the sea with its silver light. [Illustration: He found her resting on the sofa, with no light in the room but the moonlight which fell on her face.] "Did you call me, Mrs. Arundel?" he asked, with an uneasy tremor in his voice. "Yes, my dear; will you come in? I want to have a little talk with you."