ssionate remorse.

'Oh, why did I do it?' she wailed; 'why did you make me do it,
Harold?'

'Come, Dolly, I like that,' said Caffyn, who saw the necessity for
having this understood at once. '_I_ made you do nothing, if you
please--it was all done before I came in. I may think you were very
sensible in getting rid of the letter in that way--I do--but you did
it of your own accord--remember that.'

'I was quite good half an hour ago,' moaned the child, 'and now I'm a
wicked girl--a--a thief! No one will speak to me any more--they'll
send me to prison!'

'Now don't talk nonsense,' said Caffyn, a little alarmed, not having
expected a child to have such strong feelings about anything. 'And
for goodness' sake don't cry like that--there's nothing to cry about
_now_.... You're perfectly safe as long as you hold your tongue. You
don't suppose I shall tell of you, do you?' (and it really was highly
improbable). 'There's nothing to show what you've done. And--and you
didn't mean to do anything bad, I know _that_, of course. You needn't
make yourself wretched about it. It's only the way the law looks at
stealing stamps, you know. Come, I must be off now; can't wait for
Mabel any longer. But I must see a smile before I go--just a little
one, Juggins--to thank me for helping you out of your scrape, eh?'
(Dolly's mouth relaxed in a very faint smile.) 'That's right--now
you're feeling jolly again; cheer up, you can trust me, you know.' And
he went out, feeling tolerably secure of her silence.

'It's rough on her, poor little thing!' he soliloquised as he walked
briskly away; 'but she'll forget all about it soon enough--children
do. And what the deuce could I do? No, I'm glad I looked in just then.
Our resuscitated friend won't write again for a month or two--and by
that time it will be too late. And if this business comes out (which I
don't imagine it ever will) _I've_ done nothing anyone could lay hold
of. I was very careful about that. I must have it out with Mabel as
soon as I can now--there's nothing to be gained by waiting!'

_Would_ Dolly forget all about it? She did not like Harold Caffyn, but
it never occurred to her to disbelieve the terrible things he had told
her. She was firmly convinced that she had done something which, if
known, would cut her off completely from home and sympathy and love;
she who had hardly known more than a five minutes' sorrow in her happy
innocent little life, believed herself a guilty thing