adam," said Old Ready, laughing, "that Tommy will not come
either to his breakfast or his dinner to-day."

"What can you mean, Ready?" said Mrs Seagrave.

"Why, madam, I will tell you. I thought it very odd that there were no
eggs, and I thought it probable that the hens might have laid astray; so
I went about yesterday evening to search. I could not find any eggs,
but I found the egg-shells, hid under some cocoa-nut leaves; and I
argued, that if an animal, supposing there was any on the island, had
taken the eggs, it would not have been so careful to hide the
egg-shells. So, this morning, I fastened up the door of the hen-house,
and only left open the little sliding door, by which the fowls go in to
roost; and then, after you were up, I watched behind the trees, and saw
Tommy come out, and go to the hen-house. He tried the door, and finding
it fast, crept into the hen-house by the little sliding-door. As soon
as he was in I let down the slide, and fastened it with a nail; so there
he is, caught in his own trap."

"And there shall he remain all day, the little glutton!" said Mr
Seagrave.

"Yes, it will serve him right," replied Mrs Seagrave; "and be a lesson
to him."

Mr Seagrave, Ready, and William, as usual, went down to their work;
Mrs Seagrave and Juno, with little Caroline, were busy indoors. Tommy
remained very quiet for an hour, when he commenced roaring; but it was
of no use, no one paid any attention to him. At dinner-time he began to
roar again, but with as little success: it was not till the evening that
the door of the hen-house was opened, and Tommy permitted to come out.
He looked very foolish; and sat down in a corner without speaking.

"Well, Tommy, how many eggs did you suck to-day?" said Ready.

"Tommy won't suck eggs any more," said the urchin.

"No, you had better not," replied Mr Seagrave, "or you will find, in
the end, that you will have less to eat, instead of more, as you have
this day."

Tommy waited very quietly and very sulkily till supper was ready, when
he made up for lost time. After which Ready continued his narrative.

"I told you, William, that I was informed by the gentleman on the coach
that my mother had died of a broken heart, in consequence of my supposed
death. I was in agony until I arrived at Newcastle, where I could
ascertain all the facts connected with her decease. When the coach
stopped, the gentleman, who had remained outside, came to the coach
door, an