ou a pack o' lies about me--"

"Silence, man!" cried Uncle Richard angrily.

"Why, all I've got to say is--"

"Will you hold your tongue, sir? My nephew has not even accused you.
He has merely told me his own version of the accident."

"Oh!" said David, looking from one to the other, thoroughly taken aback.

"Now give me your account, sir," continued Uncle Richard.

David threw in a few pieces of ornamentation about his narrative, but
its essence was precisely the same as Tom's.

"Humph!" said Uncle Richard. "It looks as of one of you must be in
fault."

"I take my solemn--"

"Silence, sir! you have spoken enough. Tell me this, as the man I have
always been a good master to, and have always trusted. I know it is a
serious thing, but I want the simple truth. Did you have an accident,
and break that glass?"

"I wish I may die this minute if I did, sir," cried David; "and that's
an awful thing to say."

"Thank you, David; I believe you," said Uncle Richard quietly, and the
gardener's face glowed as he turned his eyes on Tom, and then frowned,
and jerked his head, and seemed to say--

"Now out with the truth, my lad, like a man."

Tom was darting back an angry look, when his uncle turned to him, with
eyes that seemed to read him through and through.

"I thought it was your doing at first, Tom, in my vexation," he said.
"Then I suspected poor David here, very unwillingly. But you see we are
at fault."

"Yes, uncle," cried Tom eagerly, for there was something in his uncle's
tone, stern as it sounded, that was like a friendly grasp of the hand,
and turning towards him, in quite an excited burst, he cried, "Then you
don't think I did it?"

"Of course not, my boy. What have you ever done that I should doubt
your word?"

Tom could not speak, but he made a snatch at his uncle's hand, to feel
it close warmly upon his own.

David looked from one to the other, and then stooped and picked up his
hat, put it on, recollected himself, and snatched it off again.

"Well," he said softly, "it's a rum 'un. If I didn't feel quite
cock-sure as it was you, Master Tom, that I did. Then it warn't you,
arter all! Then who was it? that's what I want to know."

"That's what we all want to know, David," said Uncle Richard, as he laid
his hand now upon his nephew's shoulder, the firm pressure seeming to
send a thrill of strength and determination through the boy's heart.
"One thing is very plain--it could not have b