succeeded in getting out upon the trellis with the box under my arm.
The descent was awkward, but my father was a tall man, and, reaching
upward, relieved me of my burden before I got to the ground.

"'I didn't remember it was so heavy,' he whispered, 'or I should have
given you a rope to lower it down by. If you had dropped it and spoiled
my instruments, and made a lot of noise besides, I should have been
angry enough.'

"I was very glad my father was not angry, and following him over the
greensward we quickly reached the boat, where the box was stowed away
under the bow to keep it from injury.

"We pushed off as quietly as possible and rowed swiftly down the river.
When we had gone about a mile I suddenly dropped my oar with an
exclamation of dismay.

"'What's the matter?' cried my father.

"'Oh, I have done a dreadful thing!' I said. 'Oh, father, I must go
back!'

"I am sorry to say that at this my father swore.

"'What do you want to go back for?' he said.

"'Just to think of it! I have left open the window in which that
beautiful child was sleeping. If it should take cold and die from the
damp air of the river blowing upon it I should never forgive myself. Oh,
if I had only thought of climbing up the trellis again and pulling down
that sash! I am sure I could go back and do it without making the least
noise.' My father gave a grunt; but what the grunt meant I do not know,
and for a few moments he was silent, and then he said:--

"'Thomas, you cannot go back; the distance is too great, the tide is
against us, and it is time that you and I were both in our beds. Nothing
may happen to that baby; but, attend to my words now, if any harm should
come to that child it will go hard with you. If it should die it would
be of no use for you to talk about practical jokes. You would be held
responsible for its death. I was going to say to you that it might be as
well for you not to say anything about this little venture until I had
seen how Williamson Green took the joke. Some people get angry with very
little reason, although I hardly believe he's that sort of a man; but
now things are different. He thinks all the world of that child, which
is the only one they've got; and if you want to stay outside of jail or
the house of refuge I warn you never to say a word of where you have
been this night.'

"With this he began to row again, and I followed his example, but with a
very heavy heart. All that night I dreamt of