ah Trimble, a proceeding in which his two sons heartily backed him
up. The consequence was that that worthy young pedagogue found his
scholastic labours materially lightened--for a dozen boys are easier to
teach than fifty--and had time to wonder whether after all he would not
have served his day and generation quite as well by looking after his
own affairs, as after the most unprofitable affairs of somebody else.

CHAPTER TEN.

TOSSED ABOUT.

Jeffreys, as the reader will have discovered, did not possess the art of
doing himself common justice. He had brooded so long and so bitterly
over his fatal act of violence at Bolsover, that he had come almost to
forget that accident had had anything to do with poor Forrester's
injuries. And now, when confronted with his crime, even by a despicable
wretch like Trimble, he had not the spirit to hold up his head and make
some effort at any rate to clear himself of all that was charged against
him.

Jeffreys was still a blunderer, or else his conscience was unusually
sensitive. You and I, reader, no doubt, would have put a bold face on
the matter, and insisted the whole affair was entirely an accident, and
that we were to be pitied rather than blamed for what had happened. And
a great many people would have pitied us accordingly. But Jeffreys
claimed no pity. He saw nothing but his own ruthless fault; and he
chose to take the whole burden of it, and the burden of the accident
besides, on his own shoulders.

And so it was he left Galloway House without a word, and cast himself
and his bad name once more adrift on a pitiless world.

But as he walked on he was not thinking of Galloway House, or Farmer
Rosher, or Freddy or Teddy. The last words of Trimble rang in his ears,
and deafened him to all beside.

"He's dead--_I_ can tell you that!"

It never occurred to him to wonder whence Jonah had derived his
information, or whether it was true or false.

Mr Brampton's letter five months ago had left little hope of the boy's
recovery, but not till now had Jeffreys heard any one say, in so many
words "He is dead." Jonah apparently knew the whole story. How he had
discovered it, it was useless to guess. And yet for a moment Jeffreys
was tempted to return and seize his accuser by the throat and demand the
truth of him. But he dismissed the notion with a shudder.

His steps turned, half mechanically, half by chance, towards his
guardian's house. He had never been in t