"The largest must go first," said John. "They are capital ones for the foundation. Come, two or three must take hold of this," at the same time laying hold of one of the largest. So they went to work with decided perseverance (the only commendable thing about the transaction), sometimes three or four of them working away at one stone, lifting and rolling it along. Benjamin was never half so zealous in cutting candle-wicks as he was in perpetrating this censurable act. He was second to no one of the number in cheerful active service on this occasion. The evening was not spent when the last stone was carried away, and the wharf was finished,--a work of art that answered their purpose very well, though it was not quite so imposing as Commercial Wharf is now, and was not calculated to receive the cargo of a very large Liverpool packet. "What a capital place it makes for fishing!" exclaimed Fred. "It is worth all it cost for that." "Perhaps it will cost more than you think for before we get through with it," said John. "We can tell better about that when the workmen find their stones among the missing." "I should like to hear what they will say," responded Benjamin, "when they discover what we have done, though I hardly think they will pay us much of a compliment. But I must hurry home, or I shall have trouble there. Come on, boys, let us go." At this they hastened to their homes, not designing to make known the labours of the evening, if they could possibly avoid interrogation. They knew that their parents would disapprove of the deed, and that no excuse could shield them from merited censure. It was not strange, then, that they were both afraid and ashamed to tell of what they had done. But we will let twenty-four hours pass. On the following evening, when Mr. Franklin took his seat at his fireside, Benjamin had taken his book and was reading. "Benjamin," said his father, "where was you last evening?" Benjamin knew by his father's anxious look that there was trouble. He imagined that he had heard of their enterprise on the previous evening. After some hesitation, he answered, "I was down to the water." "What was you doing there?" "We were fixing up a place for the boat." "See that you tell the truth, Benjamin, and withhold nothing. I wish to know what you did there." "We built a wharf." "What had you to build it with?" "We built it of stones." "And where did you get your stones?" "There was a pile of them close by." "Did they belong to you?" "I suppose not." "Did you not know that they belonged to the man who is building the house?" "Yes, sir." "Then you deliberately resolved to steal them, did you?" "It isn't stealing to take stones." "Why, then, did you take them in the evening, after the workmen had gone home? Why did you not go after them when the workmen were all there?"