tention to what was going on, and he did not
speak as cheerfully as usual. I noticed a sort of change in his voice
directly he began. I hope nothing wrong has occurred, we were getting on
so jollily."

When afternoon school began Mr. Porson placed on the desk before him a
packet done up in brown paper.

"Boys," he said, "I have got my book again."

An exclamation of surprise and pleasure burst from the boys. The mystery
had weighed heavily on the school, and a look of eager curiosity came
over every face to hear how the book had been recovered.

"It was found in a bookseller's shop in York," Mr. Porson went on. "I
myself had inquired at Leighton's here, but with little hope of finding
it, for no one who stole it would have disposed of it so near home. I
then wrote to several friends in the large towns, and one of them, a
clergyman at York, wrote to me two days ago to say that just such a book
as I had described was on sale in the window of one of the booksellers
there. It was a second hand copy, but in excellent preservation. The
flyleaf was missing. On going over yesterday I found that it was
my book, and was able to prove it by several marginal notes in my
handwriting.

"The bookseller said at once that it was sent him by a general dealer
at Marsden who was in the habit of picking up books at sales in the
neighborhood and sending them to him; he had given eighteen shillings
for it. This morning I have called upon the man, whose name is White,
accompanied by a constable. He admitted at once that he had sent the
book to York, and said that he bought it from some one about a month
ago. His customer came late, and as White is short sighted, and there
was only a tallow candle burning in the shop, he said that he should not
know him again, and could say nothing about his age; however, I shall
call him in; he is now outside with the constable. I am sure that for
your own sakes you will not object to his taking a look at you."

Mr. Porson went to the door, and the constable and White entered. The
chief constable, when Mr. Porson had called upon him to ask for one of
his men to accompany him to the dealer's, had told him that White bore
a very bad reputation. He was suspected of being the medium through
whom stolen goods in that part of Yorkshire were sent up to London for
disposal. A highwayman who had been caught and executed at York, had in
his confession stated that this man had acted as his go between for the
dispo