ore the fire doing nothing, and thinking again
of what he had heard and what he had done.

Arthur started, and blushed a very deep red.

"Why should you think there was anything the matter, mother?"

"Because I see there is," she said quietly.

He did not answer, and Mr. Vivyan looked out keenly at him, from behind
the book he was reading. But still Arthur had nothing to say, and the
troubled look came deeper on his face. He came nearer to his mother's
chair, and presently when he found himself there he laid his head on her
lap.

"What is it, my darling?" she asked, laying her hand on his brown hair.
Then the tears came into his eyes, and it was not directly that he was
able to say, "Mother, I know it was very wrong of me; but I heard what you
and papa were saying this morning when you were in the boudoir."

"It was very wrong indeed," said Mr. Vivyan; "I did not think you would
have done such a thing, Arthur."

"Oh, Arthur, Arthur!" said his mother very gently and sadly, "why did you,
why did you not remember?"

He was crying now, and he did not need to be told that he had done very
wrong.

"Well, then, you know all about it, I suppose?" said Arthur's father.

"No, I don't, papa. I only heard that something dreadful was going to
happen; and you told mother to tell some one, and she said she couldn't;
and then you said you would, and I don't remember the rest."

Mr. Vivyan smiled rather sadly, and Arthur felt his mother's arm more
closely clasped around him.

"Was it about me?" asked Arthur presently.

Mr. Vivyan looked up at his wife, and then he said, "Arthur, my boy, when
I was in India before, why did your mother stay in England?"

"I don't know," said Arthur, somewhat surprised at the question. "To take
care of me, I suppose. Oh no, it wasn't, though; it was because she was
ill, and she couldn't live in India, the doctor said."

"Yes; and now, is she as ill as she was then?"

"Oh no, I should think not!" said Arthur brightly. "She is ever so much
better, aren't you, mother?"

"Yes, dear," she said gently.

"Well," said Mr. Vivyan, speaking very slowly, and laying his hand kindly
on Arthur's curls, "did you know, Arthur, that my time for being in
England is very nearly over? there are only six weeks more left."

"Yes, father," said Arthur, and feeling his father's hand laid so tenderly
on his head, he felt more sorry at the thought that he was going than he
had ever done before. "I'm very sorr