re have I concealed anything?"

"If I understand the question rightly, they who have thought proper to
take their children away from your school because of Mr. Peacocke, have
done so because that gentleman continued to live with that lady when they
both knew that they were not man and wife."

"That wasn't my doing."

"You condoned it. I am not condemning you. You condoned it, and now you
defend yourself in this letter. But in your defence you do not really
touch the offence as to which you are, according to your own showing,
accused. In telling the whole story, you should say; 'They did live
together though they were not married;--and, under all the circumstances,
I did not think that they were on that account unfit to be left in charge
of my boys."'

"But I sent him away immediately,--to America."

"You allowed the lady to remain."

"Then what would you have me say?" demanded the Doctor.

"Nothing," said Mr. Puddicombe;--"not a word. Live it down in silence.
There will be those, like myself, who, though they could not dare to say
that in morals you were strictly correct, will love you the better for
what you did." The Doctor turned his face towards the dry, hard-looking
man and showed that there was a tear in each of his eyes. "There are few
of us not so infirm as sometimes to love best that which is not best. But
when a man is asked a downright question, he is bound to answer the
truth."

"You would say nothing in your own defence."

"Not a word. You know the French proverb: 'Who excuses himself is his own
accuser.' The truth generally makes its way. As far as I can see, a
slander never lives long."

"Ten of my boys are gone!" said the Doctor, who had not hitherto spoken a
word of this to any one out of his own family;--"ten out of twenty."

"That will only be a temporary loss."

"That is nothing,--nothing. It is the idea that the school should be
failing."

"They will come again. I do not believe that that letter would bring a
boy. I am almost inclined to say, Dr. Wortle, that a man should never
defend himself."

"He should never have to defend himself."

"It is much the same thing. But I'll tell you what I'll do, Dr.
Wortle,--if it will suit your plans. I will go up with you and will
assist at the marriage. I do not for a moment think that you will require
any countenance, or that if you did, that I could give it you."

"No man that I know so efficiently."

"But it may be that M