wilderment was in turn giving
way to something which actually looked like a grin.

"The young gentleman," proceeded Pledge, "had two dear friends, called
Richardson and Heathcote, to whom he confided his stroke of business,
and who joined him in concealing or disposing of the stolen article."

Dick could remain silent no longer. To the horror of his Firm, and the
bewilderment of every one else--most of all, Pledge--he burst into a
laugh, which sounded weird in the dead silence.

"Order!" cried Mansfield, sternly. "Go on, Pledge."

"I heard of the theft from the--from Webster immediately after it
occurred, and for the last fortnight have been watching the culprits--"

Here he was interrupted by a hiss, which the Captain immediately
suppressed.

"And they have actually admitted their guilt in begging me not to tell
of them to you."

At this point Dick started up excitedly, and began--

"I should like to say--"

But the Captain stopped him.

"You will be heard shortly. First of all we must hear Pledge's
witness."

"Certainly. I told Webster to call up at half-past four. He doesn't
know what for. You'd better have him in. I'll go and fetch him."

"No," said the Captain. "Aspinall, will you ask him to come in?"

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

HOW TEMPLETON TURNS A CORNER.

Aspinall was not absent three minutes altogether, but the interval
seemed interminable.

Our heroes, as they sat huddled together, pale, defiant, but bewildered,
dividing the attention of the meeting with their accuser, thought it a
century. More than once Dick, boiling over, started to his feet and
attempted to speak, but every time Mansfield quietly suppressed him, and
told him to wait till the proper time came.

Coote was once more racked by doubts as to whether he had really taken
the pencil after all. He was morally certain he had not, but Coote was
a youth always open to conviction.

The door opened at last, and Aspinall appeared ushering in the
bookseller, who looked like a man who suspected a trap and was prepared
to defend himself at the first sign of attack.

He had received a note in the morning from Pledge--of whom he had seen
or heard nothing since his visit to the shop a fortnight ago--asking him
to be sure to call at the school at 4:30 on a matter of business.

When Aspinall summoned him, he concluded it was to go to Pledge's study.
But when, instead of that, he found himself suddenly ushered into a
congregatio