ease about him. She knew he was in trouble.
She had gathered that from the changed tone of his weekly letter, and
an inadvertent word, now and then, led her to believe that there was
something more the matter than the loneliness to which he confessed
after Jem went away. So, when an opportunity occurred for Violet to go
to Singleton for a day or two, she was very glad that she should go, to
see how Davie was getting on, and to give him an account of their manner
of life in Gourlay.

And when David came home one night, to find Violet making tea instead of
Mrs Lacy, was he not glad to see her! He was more glad to see her than
he would have been to see his mother. He knew he never could have
talked half an hour with his mother without telling her all that was in
his heart, and he could keep it from Violet. At least, so he said to
himself. But when tea was over, and Violet had told him all they were
doing at Gourlay, and all they were enjoying there, she began to ask him
questions in return, and, before he knew it, he was telling all the sad
story of the last few weeks, and was looking with wonder at his sister's
astonished and indignant face. For astonishment was Violet's first
feeling--astonishment that such a thing could have happened to Davie,
and for a little, it was stronger even than her indignation.

"And haven't you the least idea what may have become of the money,
Davie? Don't you have any suspicion of any one?" asked she, after she
had said a good many angry words that need not be repeated. "Have they
not been trying to discover something?"

"They have been trying, I suppose."

"And what do _you_ think, Davie? There must be some clue, surely."

But David was silent.

"You do suspect some one?" said Violet, eagerly.

"No," said he, slowly; "I have no sufficient reason for suspecting any
one."

"Tell _me_, Davie."

"No; I have no right to tell my suspicions, or to suspect any one. It
came into my head one night; but I know it is foolish and wrong, and I
have nothing to tell."

"When did it happen?" asked Violet, after a little.

David could not tell her the exact time. He had never been told the
date of the receipt which Mr Oswald had given; but he thought it could
not have been very long after his mother went away, though he had not
heard of the loss till after Jem had gone.

Violet went here and there putting things to rights in the room, and
said nothing for a good while. By and by s