"You can now understand," said Mrs. Sackville, speaking in a low voice to her children, "the charm of the ring in the Fairy tale, bestowed by the benevolent Genius; which whenever worn, produced a clear sky, a smooth path and fragrant air. There is a happiness, my dear children, in the simplest act of genuine kindness, which is much more than a compensation for the loss of any gratification of taste. The relief of this poor woman, and the sweet sleep into which her child has been lulled by the motion of the carriage, have quite reconciled me to the delay of the sight of the Falls; for which I confess I began to feel a little but here comes your uncle, full of concern about something." Mr. Morris entered the room in great perturbation. "Here is a pretty spot of work," said he. "I believe in my soul, Mrs. Barton, that that scamp Tristy has gone off with your bundle." "Gone off with it!--God forbid!" exclaimed the poor woman,--"my money was all in it." "Oh uncle," said Edward, "he has not gone off with it;--he laid himself down under a tree in the wood just back, and said he would follow on as soon as he had rested him." "Rested him! a mere pretence to get rid of you--you should have had more discretion than to have trusted him, Ned;--but when was ever discretion found in a boy?" "But what reason, brother, have you to think he has gone off?" asked Mrs. Sackville. Mr. Morris said there had a man just come over the road, of whom he had inquired if he had seen him:--he had not, but he was certain he should have observed him if he had been by the road side. Mr. Morris had despatched a servant on horseback in pursuit of him, and he begged Mrs. Barton to calm herself till his return. The poor woman's agitation could not be allayed as easily as it had been excited:--she said nothing; but she became as pale as death, and trembled so excessively, that Mrs. Sackville took her child from her arms and laid it on a bed. Mr. Morris's compassion once excited, was never stinted. "Bless you, woman," he whispered to Mrs. Barton, "don't tremble so. If the little imp has really made off, your loss shall be made up to you. Come, cheer up--I have engaged a place for you and your children in a return carriage, and you will all be in Newark to-night, safe and snug." "God bless you, sir," replied Mrs. Barton. "I am ashamed of myself; but my courage and strength seem quite spent." At this instant, Edward, who had gone out on the first notice of the boy's delinquency, returned, shouting, "He's coming, he's coming;" and directly the messenger made his appearance with the wallet unharmed, and followed by Tristram, who came doggedly on muttering, "that it was a poor reward for lugging the old woman's bundle to be hunted for a thief." "Stop your clamor, Tristy," said Mr. Morris, "the devil shall have his due; there is a shilling for you, which is full as much as your character is worth."