rd of; yet he _must_ have done so,
everything combines to prove it--Thomas's speech--nay, even his own
offer of sending me 'something warm'; something warm, indeed! what do
I want with anything warm, except my trousers? No! the fact was beyond
dispute; they were gone, and he had stolen them, whilst I, unhappy
youth, was entirely in his power, and had not therefore a chance
of redress. 'But I will not bear it,' cried I, 'I'll write to my
father--I'll run away--I'll------'"

"Hurrah!" shouted Thomas, rushing into the room with his arm full of
clothes, "here they are, sir; I have found the whole kit of them at
last."

"Where?" exclaimed I eagerly.

"Where? why in such a queer place!" replied he, "stuffed up the chimbley
in master's study; but I have given them a good brushing, and they are
none the worse for it, except them blessed white ducks; they are almost
black ducks now, though they will wash, so that don't signify none."

"Up the chimney, in master's study!" here was at last proof positive; my
clothes had been actually found in his possession--oh, the wickedness of
this world!

"But how did you ever find them?" asked I.

"Why! I happened to go in to fetch something, and I see'd a little bit
of the leg of one of them hanging down ~18~~the chimbley, so I guessed
how it all was, directly. I think I know how they got there, too; they
did not walk there by themselves, I should say."

"I wish they had," muttered I.

"I thought _somebody_ was up too early this morning to be about any
good," continued he; "he is never out of bed till the last moment,
without there's some mischief in the wind."

This was pretty plain speaking, however. Thomas was clearly as well
aware of his master's nefarious practices as the pupils themselves,
and Lawless's amiable desire to conceal Dr. Mildman's sins from his
servant's knowledge was no longer of any avail. I hastened, therefore
(the only reason for silence being thus removed), to relieve my mind
from the burden of just indignation which was oppressing it.

"And can you, Thomas," exclaimed I, with flashing eyes, "remain the
servant of a man who dares thus to outrage every law, human and divine?
one who having taken upon himself the sacred office of a clergyman of
the Church of England, and so made it his especial duty to set a good
example to all around him, can take advantage of the situation in which
he is placed in regard to his pupils, and actually demean himself by
purloi