he had learned that "that boy"
was not to be trifled with.

"Good morning, Ernest," said he; and it would have been difficult to
discover in his tones that he was an enemy.

"Good morning, Mr. Tom Thornton," I replied, in cheerful tones,
intending to intimate to him that I was master of the situation.

"You left home rather suddenly," he continued.

"Rather; and I presume you did not think a great while about it before
you started."

"Ernest, I think we had better come to an understanding," he added,
seating himself on the sofa at my side.

"I know what I am about, and I suppose you know what you are about," I
answered, with easy assurance. "I don't know that we can come to any
better understanding."

"I think we can," added Tom, very mildly. "I don't believe you know what
you are about."

"Leave that to me."

"Ernest, I know what you have done at your uncle's house," said he, in a
whisper, as though he had possessed himself of a valuable secret.

"So do I."

"You robbed your uncle's safe," he continued, in the same confidential
tone.

"That depends on whether the safe was his or mine," I answered, readily.

"Ernest, it is no use for you to play bluff with me. You know what you
have done," he added, rather petulantly; and I saw he was disappointed
because he had failed to make an impression upon me.

"No one knows better than I what I have done."

"You have taken money and valuable papers out of your uncle's safe."

"I know it."

"You opened it without his knowledge or consent."

"I know that too."

"And then you ran away from your home."

"That also I know."

"I was sent for by your uncle--"

"By your father, you mean," I interposed.

"I said by your uncle," added he, persistently. "I found him quite
ill--made so by your bad behavior."

"Not much," I replied, when Tom looked into my face to notice the effect
of this revelation. "Didn't he tell you he had not slept nights for
years; that he had steeped his soul in crime for _your_ sake, Mr. Tom
Thornton?"

He started, sprang to his feet; but recollecting himself, he sat down
again, and tried to recover his calmness.

"It's no use for you to tell me, Mr. Tom Thornton, that your father was
made ill by my bad behavior. It was your bad behavior and his own that
trouble him."

"Young man, you talk just as though you were entirely innocent
yourself," added Tom, virtuously. "Do you really think you are free from
guilt?"

"I think I have