that Rollo had afterwards said he meant to be cabinet keeper
himself, and so would not let the society have his cabinet to keep
their curiosities in.

"And did he first agree that the society might have it?"

"No, sir," said Rollo, decidedly; "I did not agree to any thing about
it." He thought that this would exonerate him from all blame.

"Was not there a _tacit_ agreement?" asked his father.

"A _tacit_ agreement!" repeated Rollo. He did not know what a tacit
agreement was.

"Yes," said his father, "_tacit_ means silent; a tacit or implied
agreement is one which is made without being formally expressed in
words. If it is only understood by both parties, it is just as binding
as if it were fully expressed. For instance, if I go into a bookstore,
and ask the bookseller to put me up certain books, and take them and
carry them home, and then he charges them to me in his books, I must pay
for them: for, though I did not _say_ any thing about paying for them,
yet my actions constituted an implied agreement to pay. By going in and
getting them, under those circumstances, I, in fact, tacitly promise
that I will pay for them when the bookseller sends in his bill. A very
large portion of the agreements made among men are tacit agreements."

The children all listened very attentively, and they understood very
well what Rollo's father was saying. Rollo was considering whether there
had been a tacit agreement that the society should have the cabinet; but
he did not speak.

"Now, Rollo, did you consent to the formation of the society?"

"Yes, sir," said Henry, eagerly; "he _asked_ us all to form the
society."

"And was it the understanding that the museum was to be kept in the
cabinet that Jonas made?"

"Yes, sir," said Rollo, rather faintly.

"Then, it seems to me that there was a tacit agreement on your part,
that if the children would form the society and help you make the
collection, you would submit to whatever arrangements they might make
about the officers and the charge of the cabinet. You, in fact, _bailed_
the cabinet to the society."

"Yes, sir," said the children.

"And as the bailment was for your advantage, as well as theirs, you
ought not to have taken possession of the property again, until a fair
opportunity had been afforded to accomplish the purpose of the bailment,
that is, the collection of a cabinet by the society. So, you see, you
fell into the same fault in respect to the society, that Henry