s of his own heart, that he had not checked him as he should.
"What is the whole truth about this matter?"

"Come, speak up, Jim," said old Meyers; "you were poor Jacob's friend,
and you know most about it;" the squire also added a word, encouraging
the lad, who, thus emboldened, took courage and gave the squire the
whole history of poor Jacob Dobbin's one moss-rose. He told him of the
cripple's love for the plant, and how its one and only blossom had been
rudely snatched away by the young squire, and how poor Jacob burst a
blood vessel and finally died.

"And if your honour wants to know what became of the tree, you'll find
it planted in the young squire's garden," added Jim, "and the gardener
will tell you how it came there."

The reader will easily guess what must have been the young squire's
feelings as he heard the whole of this tale. Several times did he
endeavour to make his escape, under the plea that he was in great pain
from his face, and once or twice he pretended to faint away; but his
father, who, though proud and irreligious, was just, determined that he
should remain until the whole matter was searched out.

When Jim Meyers' story was ended, the squire bade him go into the
servants' hall, and his father also, while old Dobbin was sent for; and
as to James, his son, he told him to go up to his bed-room, and not come
down until he was called.

Poor old Leonard Dobbin was just as much frightened as Jim Meyers and
his father had been, at the summons to attend the squire. He had a
clear conscience, however; he felt that he had not wronged the squire in
anything; and so, washing himself and putting on his best Sunday
clothes, he made his way to the Hall as quickly as he could.

"Leonard Dobbin," said the squire, "I charge you, upon pain of my worst
displeasure, to tell me all you know about this story of your late son's
moss-rose tree. You need not be afraid to tell me all; your only cause
for fear will be the holding back from me anything connected with the
matter."

Leonard went through the whole story just as Jim Meyers had done; only
he added many little matters which made the young squire's conduct
appear even in a still worse light than it had already done. He was able
to add all about his poor crippled boy's forgiveness of the one who had
wronged him, and how he had himself wheeled the rose tree up to the
squire's door, and how it was now to be found in the young squire's
garden. "And if I may ma