ea-window was open, and so I just thought I would come in.'

'You were attracted by the plate! Take it, for Heaven's sake,
desperate man, and go away!'

'I did take some of it, but with no evil intention--only by way of
amusement. Here it is;' and going to the sofa, I drew off the cover,
and shewed her the plant.

'You have been generous,' said she, her voice getting quaverous again;
'for the whole must have been in your power. I will let you out so
softly that no one will know. Put up in your pockets what you have
risked so much to possess, and follow me.'

'I will follow you with pleasure,' said I, 'were it all the world
over;' for the increasing light shewed me as lovely a creature as the
morning sun ever shone upon; 'but as for the plunder, you must excuse
me there: I never stole anything before, and, please Heaven, I never
will again!'

'Surely you are a most extraordinary person,' said the young lady
suddenly, for the light seemed to have made a revelation to her
likewise: 'you neither look nor talk like a robber.'

'Nor am I. I am not even a robber--I am nothing; and have not property
in the world to the value of these articles of plate.'

'Then if you are not a robber, why are you here?--why creep in at the
area-window, appropriate other people's spoons, and get locked up all
night in their house?'

'For no other reason, than that I was in a hurry. I had come home from
Barcelona, and was going in to my guardian's, next door, when your
unfortunate area-window caught my eye, with the plate on the table
inside. In an instant, I was over the rails and in through the window
like a harlequin, with the intention of giving the family a pleasing
surprise, and my old monitress, sister Laura, a great moral lesson on
the impropriety of her leaving plate about in so careless a way.'

'Then you are Gerald, my dear Laura's cousin, so longingly
expected--so beloved by them all--so'----Here the young lady blushed
celestial rosy red, and cast down her eyes. What these two girls could
have been saying to each other about me, I never found out; but there
was a secret, I will go to death upon it.

She let me out so quietly, that neither her father nor the servants
ever knew a syllable about the matter. I need not say how I was
received next door. The governor swept down another sob with another
guffaw; mamma bestowed upon me another blessing and another kiss; and
Laura was so rejoiced, that she gave me another hearty cry