e leaped to
his feet, and his first thought was, that something was to be done with
him for burning the boat-house. But the door opened, and, by the dim
light which came through the window, he recognized the slight form of
Fanny Grant.

"Noddy," said she, timidly.

"Well, Miss Fanny, have you come to let me out of jail?"

"No; I came to see you, and nobody knows I am here. You won't expose
me--will you?"

"Of course I won't; that isn't much like me."

"I know it isn't, Noddy. What did you say that you set the fire for?"

"Because I thought that was the best way to settle the whole thing. Ben
saw you come out of the boat-house, and told your father he believed you
set the building on fire. That was the meanest thing the old man ever
did. Why didn't he lay it to me, as he ought to have done?"

"I suppose he knew you didn't do it."

"That don't make any difference. He ought to have known better than tell
your father it was you."

"I am so sorry for what you have done!"

"What are you sorry for? It won't hurt me, any how; and it would be an
awful thing for you. They were going to make a tinker of me before, and
I suppose they will do it now--if they can. I wouldn't care a fig for it
if Miss Bertha didn't feel so bad about it."

"I will tell her the truth."

"Don't you do it, Miss Fanny. That wouldn't help me a bit, and will
spoil you."

"But I must tell the truth. They don't suspect me even of going on the
water."

"So much the better. They won't ask you any hard questions. Now, Miss
Fanny, don't you say a word; for if you do, it will make it all the
worse for me."

"Why so, Noddy?"

"Because, according to my notion, I did set the building afire. If I
hadn't said what I did, you never would have thought of doing it. So I
was the fellow that did it, after all. That's the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth."

"But you didn't set it afire, and you didn't mean to do any such thing."

"That may be; but you wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been for me. It
was more my fault than it was yours; and I want you to leave the thing
just where it is now."

"But it would be mean for me to stand still, and see you bear all the
blame."

"It would be enough sight meaner for you to say anything about it."

"I don't think so."

"I do; for don't you see it is a good deal worse for me to put you up to
such a thing than it was for me to do it myself? Your father would
forgive me for setting the fire sooner tha