hat there is much to
extenuate the apparent offence which I have committed to-night."

My wife did not answer him, but turning to me said, smiling, "If he
alludes to their drinking your wine he need not apologize."

The man looked at her with an expression as if her words had pained him.

"Madam," he said, "if you consent to listen to my explanations and the
story of this affair, I am sure your feelings toward me would not be so
harsh."

"Now, then," said my Aunt Martha, "if he has a story to tell he ought to
be allowed to tell it, even in a case like this. Nobody should be judged
until he has said what he thinks he ought to say. Let us hear his
story."

I laughed. "Any statement he may make," I said, "will probably deserve a
much stronger name than stories."

"I think that what you say is true," remarked my wife; "but still if he
has a story to tell I should like to hear it."

I think I heard David give a little grunt; but he was too well bred to
say anything.

"Very well," said I, "if you choose to sit up and hear him talk, it is
your affair. I shall be obliged to remain here anyway, and will not
object to anything that will help to pass away the time. But these men
must not be the only ones who are seated. David, you and Alice can clear
away that broken table and the rest of the stuff, and then we might as
well sit down and make ourselves comfortable."

Alice, with cloth and brush, approached very timidly the scene of the
disaster; but the younger burglar, who was nearest to her, gazed upon
her with such a gentle and quiet air that she did not seem to be
frightened. When she and David had put the room in fair order, I placed
two easy-chairs for my wife and Aunt Martha at a moderate distance from
the burglars, and took another myself a little nearer to them, and then
told David to seat himself near the other end of the bench, and Alice
took a chair at a little distance from the ladies.

"Now, then," said Aunt Martha to the burglars, "I would like very much
to hear what any one of you can say in extenuation of having broken into
a gentleman's house by night."

Without hesitation the tall man began his speech. He had a long and
rather lean, close-shaven face, which at present bore the expression of
an undertaker conducting a funeral. Although it was my aunt who had
shown the greatest desire to hear his story, he addressed himself to my
wife. I think he imagined that she was the more influential person of
t