Rollo now went in pursuit of him, and after looking for him in many places, both before and aft, he finally went down into the dining saloon, and there he found Hilbert seated at the table, eating dinner, with his father. His bows and arrows were on the seat by his side. Rollo went up to the place where Hilbert was sitting, and in a timid and cautious manner informed him that his mother wished to see him. "My mother!" repeated Hilbert, looking up surprised. "Yes," replied Rollo; "she asked me to tell you. But I suppose that she can wait until you have finished your dinner." "O, no," said Hilbert, "I can't go at all. Go tell her I can't come." Rollo was greatly astonished at receiving such a message as this from a boy to his mother. "Hilbert," said his father, in a very stern and threatening manner, "go to your mother directly." "No," said Hilbert, in a sort of begging and whining tone. "No. If I do, she'll make me stay there all the afternoon." "No matter for that," said his father; "go directly." Hilbert did not move, but went on eating his dinner. "At least," said his father, "you must go immediately when you have done your dinner." Hilbert muttered something in reply, but Rollo did not hear what it was. In fact, he did not wish to hear any more of such a dialogue as this between a child and his father. So he went away. He was not at all inclined to go back to the lady and inform her what Hilbert had said; but he thought that he ought at least to go and tell her that he had found Hilbert, as he had been taught that it was always his duty to go back with a report when sent on a message. So he went back to the lady, and told her that he had found Hilbert, and that he was at dinner with his father. "And what did he say about coming to me?" asked the lady. "His father told him that he must come as soon as he had finished his dinner," replied Rollo. "Very well," said the lady, "that will do." So saying, she turned her head away and shut her eyes again, and so Rollo withdrew. It would be a very nice and delicate point to determine whether Rollo's answer in this case was or was not as full as strict honesty required. He certainly did not state any thing that was not true; nor did he, in what he said, convey any false impression. He, however, withheld a very important part of what the lady must have desired to know. It is undoubtedly sometimes right for us to conceal or withhold the truth. Sometimes, indeed, it is our imperious duty to do so. Rollo's motive for doing as he did in this case was to avoid giving a sick mother pain, by reporting to her the undutiful conduct of her son. Whether it would or would not have been better for him to have communicated the whole truth, is a point which must be left for the readers of this book to discuss and settle among themselves.