"Look, John!" said Caleb, exultingly, "look here! My own boy from the Golden South Americas! My own son! Him that you fitted out, and sent away yourself! Him that you were always such a friend to!" The Carrier advanced to seize him by the hand; but, recoiling, as some feature in his face awakened a remembrance of the Deaf Man in the Cart, said: "Edward! Was it you?" "Now tell him all!" cried Dot. "Tell him all, Edward; and don't spare me, for nothing shall make me spare myself in his eyes, ever again." "I was the man," said Edward. "And could you steal, disguised, into the house of your old friend?" rejoined the Carrier. "There was a frank boy once--how many years is it, Caleb, since we heard that he was dead, and had it proved, we thought?--who never would have done that." "There was a generous friend of mine once; more a father to me than a friend," said Edward; "who never would have judged me, or any other man, unheard. You were he. So I am certain you will hear me now." The Carrier, with a troubled glance at Dot, who still kept far away from him, replied, "Well! that's but fair. I will." "You must know that when I left here a boy," said Edward, "I was in love, and my love was returned. She was a very young girl, who perhaps (you may tell me) didn't know her own mind. But I knew mine, and I had a passion for her." "You had!" exclaimed the Carrier. "You!" "Indeed I had," returned the other. "And she returned it. I have ever since believed she did, and now I am sure she did." "Heaven help me!" said the Carrier. "This is worse than all." "Constant to her," said Edward, "and returning, full of hope, after many hardships and perils, to redeem my part of our old contract, I heard, twenty miles away, that she was false to me; that she had forgotten me; and had bestowed herself upon another and a richer man. I had no mind to reproach her; but I wished to see her, and to prove beyond dispute that this was true. I hoped she might have been forced into it against her own desire and recollection. It would be small comfort, but it would be some, I thought, and on I came. That I might have the truth, the real truth, observing freely for myself, and judging for myself, without obstruction on the one hand, or presenting my own influence (if I had any) before her, on the other, I dressed myself unlike myself--you know how; and waited on the road--you know where. You had no suspicion of me; neither had--had she," pointing to Dot, "until I whispered in her ear at that fireside, and she so nearly betrayed me."