“Oh, no, no, Papa; he never did accuse me!” cried Bessie, for the first time bursting into tears. “He never said I did it; that was only Davie’s fancy; and it has made Susie and Sam so kind, I have not minded it at all. Please don’t mind that, Papa!” “Come away, Henry!” said the Captain; “now that your sister has been cleared, we had better have the rest out of the sight of these tender-hearted little girls.” He stood up, and without a word, stroked down Elizabeth’s smooth brown hair, raised her face up by the chin, and kissed her forehead, the only place free from tears; then he took Henry by the shoulder, and marched him out of the room. Bessie could not stop herself from crying, and was afraid of letting Uncle John see her; so she flew out after them, and straight up-stairs to her own room. Miss Fosbrook and Susan both longed to follow her, but they had missed this opportunity; and the sound of voices outside showed so plainly that the Captain and Henry were in the hall that they durst not open the door. Everyone was appalled, and nothing was said for a few seconds. The first to speak was Annie, in a low, terror-stricken whisper, yet with some curiosity in it: “I wonder what Papa will do to him?” “Give him nine dozen, I hope!” answered David through his small white teeth, all clenched together with rage. “For shame, Davie!” said Susan; “you should not wish anything so dreadful for your brother.” “He has been so wicked! I wish it! I _will_ wish it!” said David. “Hush, David!” said Miss Fosbrook; “such things must not be said. I will talk to you by and by.” “I am glad poor Bessie is cleared!” added Susan; “though I always knew she could not have done it.” “To be sure—I knew it was Hal!” “Sam! you did?—why didn’t you tell?” cried Annie. “I wasn’t—to say—sure,” said Sam; “and I couldn’t go and get him into a scrape. I thought he might tell himself, if he could ever make up the money again!” “Yes,” said Susan; “he would have done that. He always fancied he should get a sovereign from Colonel Carey.” “He talked till he thought so,” said Sam. “But what made you guess he had done so, Sam?” said Miss Fosbrook. “I did suspect him myself, but I never felt justified in accusing him of such a thing.” “I don’t know! I saw he had been getting into a fix with those Grevilles, and had been sold somehow. They said something, and got out of my way directly, and I was sure they had done some mischief, and left him to pay the cost.” “Did you ask him?” said Susan. “What was the use? One never knows where to have him. He will eat up his words as fast as he says them, with his _at least_, till he doesn’t know what he means. Nor I didn’t want to know much of it.” “Still I can’t think how you could let poor Bessie live under such a cloud,” said Christabel.