half defiantly. "It's no use to try, and
I'm going back."

"To grieve me, and make me sorry that I have been mistaken?"

"Yes," he said huskily, and with his arm still across his eyes. "I'm
going back, and old Sibery may cut me to pieces," he added passionately.
"I don't care."

"Look up at me, Dexter," said Helen gently, as she laid her hand upon
the boy's arm. "Tell me," she continued, "which will you do?--go back,
or try to be a good boy, and do what you know I wish you to do, and
stay!"

He let her arm fall, gazed wildly in her eyes, and then caught her hand
and dropped upon his knees, sobbing passionately.

"I will try; I will try," he cried, as soon as he could speak. "Take me
down to him, and let him cane me, and I won't cry out a bit. I'll take
it all like Bill Jones does, and never make a sound, but don't, don't
send me away."

Helen Grayson softly sank upon her knees beside the boy, and took him in
her arms to kiss him once upon the forehead.

"There, Dexter," she said gently, as she rose. "Now bathe your eyes,
dress yourself again, and come downstairs to me in the dining-room, as
quickly as you can."

Helen went to her own room for a few moments to bathe her own eyes, and
wonder how it was that she should be so much moved, and in so short a
time.

The doctor was anxiously awaiting her return.

"Well!" he said; "where is the young scamp!"

"In his room," replied Helen, "and--"

"Well--well!" said the doctor impatiently.

"Oh no, father dear," said Helen quietly, but with more emotion in her
voice than even she knew. "We must not send him back."

Then she told what had passed, and the doctor nodded his head.

"No," he said; "we must not send him back."

Just then there was a knock at the door, and Maria entered to clear
away.

"Not yet, Maria," said Helen quietly. "Take that chicken back, and ask
Mrs Millett to make it hot again."

"And the vegetables, ma'am!"

"Yes. I will ring when we want them."

Maria took the various dishes away with a very ill grace, and dabbed
them down on the kitchen table, almost hard enough to produce cracks, as
she delivered her message to Mrs Millett, who looked annoyed.

"You can do as you please, Mrs Millett," said Maria, giving herself a
jerk as if a string inside her had been pulled; "but I'm a-going to look
out for a new place."

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

MASTER GRAYSON GOES FOR A WALK.

"Couldn't have believed it," said the doctor one even