if he
had sinned like a grown-up man. Be reasonable. We will both take care
of him. No fear that he will turn out a liar!"

Helen hesitated; but still her looks were so angry and stern, all the
mother vanished out of them, that the boy, instead of clinging to her,
ran away crying, and hid himself behind Lord Cairnforth's chair.

"Leave him to me, Helen. Can not you trust me--me--with your
son!"

Mrs. Bruce paused.

"Now," said the earl, wheeling himself round a little, so that he came
face to face with the sobbing child, "lift up your head, Boy, and speak
the truth like a man to me and to your mother--see! She is listening.
Did you touch those raspberries?"

"No!"

"Cardross!" Calling him by his rarely-spoken name, not his pet-name, and
fixing upon him eyes, not angry, but clear and searching, that compelled
the truth even from a child, "think again. You must tell us!"

"No, me didn't touch them," answered Boy, dropping his head in conscious
shame. "Not with me fingers. Me just opened me mouth and they popped
in."

Lord Cairnforth could hardly help smiling at the poor little sinner--
the infant Jesuit attaining his object by such an ingenious device; but
the mother didn't smile, and her look was harder than ever.

"You hear! If not a lie, it was a prevarication. He who lies is a
scoundrel, but he who prevaricates is a scoundrel and coward too.
Sooner than Boy should grow up like--like that, I would rather die.
No, I would rather see him die; for I might come in time to hate my own
son."

By these fierce words, and by the gleaming eyes, which made a sudden and
total change in the subdued manner, and the plain, almost elderly face
under the widow's cap that Helen always wore, Lord Cairnforth guessed,
more than he had ever guessed before, of what the sufferings of her
married life had been.

"My friend," he said, and there was infinite pity as well as tenderness
in his voice, "believe me, you are wrong. You are foreboding what,
please God, will never happen. God does not deal with us in that
manner. He bids us do His will, each of us individually, without
reference to the doings or misdoings of any other person. And if we
obey Him, I believe He takes care we shall not suffer--at least not
forever, even in this world. Do not be afraid. Boy," calling the
little fellow, who was now sobbing in bitterest contrition behind the
wheeled chair, "come and kiss your mother. Promise her that you will
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