er, who gave you this book on the day
Mr. Hamilton discovered it in your possession?"

"Churchill, sir," replied Louis, in great agitation; "you did, Churchill,
did you not? Oh! do say you did."

"Hush," said the doctor. "What have you to say against this, Churchill?"

"Nothing, sir--I did--I gave it to Louis Mortimer," stammered Churchill,
looking from Louis to the doctor, and back again.

"And how came you to give it to him?"

Churchill did not reply until the question was repeated, when he
reluctantly said, he had given it to Louis to assist him in his
exercise.

"Did Mortimer ask you for it?"

"No, sir."

"Did he wish for it?"

"No, sir, not that I know of."

"You know, Harry, that I asked you to put it away--did I not?"
cried Louis.

"I don't know--yes--I think you did," said Churchill, growing very hot.

"Why did you not put it away?" asked Dr. Wilkinson.

"Because I thought he wanted it, please sir."

"But I did not, Harry! I told you I did not," said Louis, eagerly.

Dr. Wilkinson desired Louis to be silent, and continued his questions--

"Did you try to persuade him to use it?"

Again Churchill paused, and again confessed, most unwillingly, that
he had done so--and received a severe reprimand for his conduct on the
occasion, and a long task to write out which would keep him employed
during the play-hours of that day.

He was then dismissed, and Dr. Wilkinson again addressed himself to
Louis: "I am glad to find that part of your story is correct; but I
now wish you to explain how my key found its way into the school-room
yesterday, when discovered by Mr. Witworth. The book must have been
deliberately taken out of this room into the school-room. You appear
to have been alone, or nearly so, in the school-room the greater part
of yesterday afternoon, and Mr. Witworth found the book half concealed
by your lesson books while you were writing your exercises."

"I assure you, sir, I did not take it," said Louis.

"Unhappily," replied Dr. Wilkinson, "I cannot take a mere assurance
in the present instance. Had not the case been so palpable, I should
have been bound to believe you until I had had reason to mistrust your
word--but with these facts I _cannot_, Louis;" and he added, in a very
low tone, so as to be heard only by Louis, who was much nearer to him
than the others, "Your honor has not always been sacred--beware."

His school-fellows wondered what made the red flush mount so furiously
i