en I humbly beg your nephew's pardon for my unjust suspicions," cried
the Vicar warmly. "Will you forgive me--Tom?"

"Of course, sir," cried the boy, seizing the extended hand. "But you
are convinced now, sir?"

"Perfectly; but I want to know who is the culprit. Can you help me?"

"We're trying to catch him, sir," said Tom.

"I'm afraid I know," said Uncle Richard.

"Yes, and I'm afraid that I know," said the Vicar, rather angrily.
"I'll name no names, but I fancy you suspect the same body that I did
till I found our young friend's knife."

"And if we or you catch him," said Uncle Richard, "what would you do--
police?"

"No," said the Vicar firmly, "not for every scrap of fruit I have in the
garden. I don't hold with imprisoning a boy, except as the very last
resort."

"Give him a severe talking to then?" said Uncle Richard dryly.

"First; and then I'm afraid that I should behave in a very illegal way.
But he is not caught yet."

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

The Vicar stopped and chatted, taking his seat upon the stool Tom had I
before offered, and watched the process of making the speculum for some
time before leaving, and then, shaking hands with Tom, he said,
smiling--

"Shows how careful one ought to be in suspecting people, Tom Blount. We
are none of us perfect. Good-bye."

"That's a hint for us, Tom," said Uncle Richard, as soon as they were
alone. "Perhaps you are wrong about Master Pete Warboys too."

Tom thought about the pears thrown at Pete by his cousin, and shook his
head.

"Pete wouldn't have been peeping over the wall, uncle, if he had not
meant mischief."

"Perhaps not, Tom; but he may have meant mischief to you, and not to my
pears."

Tom laughed, and they soon after went in to dinner.

That afternoon, and for an hour and a half in the evening, they worked
again at the speculum by lamp-light, so that Tom was pretty tired when
they gave up and returned to the cottage.

"Going to watch for the fruit burglar to-night, Tom?" asked Uncle
Richard.

"Oh yes, uncle. I feel ten times as eager now Mr Maxted's plums have
been stolen;" and, punctual to the moment, he stole down the garden,
walking upon the velvety lawn, and advancing so silently upon David,
that the gardener uttered a cry of alarm.

"Quite made me jump, Master Tom, coming on me so quiet like."

"I thought he might be hanging about," whispered back Tom. "Going to
watch from the same place?"

"Ay, sir. Couldn't b