as a
last hope, was to be removed to a hospital (I could not hear which) to
receive special treatment. Since then--which is five months ago--I have
heard nothing, and my last letter to Grangerham was returned by the
Dead-Letter Office. I wish I could tell you more. You may depend on my
doing so should I hear of him again," etc.

It is hardly to be wondered at after this that poor Jeffreys felt the
weight upon him heavier than ever. As long as he had known where
Forrester was, and had the hope of hearing from time to time how he
fared, he had been able to buoy himself up with the hope of some day
making up to his victim for the injury he had inflicted; but when,
suddenly, Forrester dropped hopelessly out of his life, the burden of
his conscience grew intolerable.

He struggled hard, by devoting himself to his boys and by hard private
study in his leisure hours, to drive the haunting memory away, but the
effort succeeded only for a time. At night, as he lay in bed, unable to
escape from himself, the vision of that pale face and that cry of terror
hardly once left him till merciful sleep came to his rescue. And by
day, when his small pupils vexed him, or the spiteful Jonah tempted him
to revenge, the thought of Forrester cowed him into submission, and left
him no choice but to endure what seemed to be his penance.

"Ma," said Mrs Trimble's hopeful, one afternoon after school had
closed, "you've been nicely taken in over that Jeffreys, I can tell
you."

"What!" said the lady. "He doesn't drink, does he?"

"Don't know. But there's something queer about him, and I mean to find
it out. I'm not going to let it go on, I can tell you."

"Why, what's he been doing, Jonah?"

"Doing? You must go about with your eyes shut if you don't see he's
been sulking ever since he came here. I tell you there's something
wrong."

"Oh, don't say that, Jonah."

"You never took a character with him, did you?"

"No; he hadn't been in a place before."

"Depend on it, ma, he's skulking. He's done something, and finds this a
convenient place to hide away in."

"But, Jonah, he's never shown any signs of not being all right. He's
very kind to the boys, and keeps them in wonderful order, better than
you do almost."

Jonah did not like this, because he knew it was true. His boys were
neither fond of him nor obedient to his control, and the fact that
Jeffreys' boys were both was additional proof that there was something
wron