nse! I have come a fortnight sooner than I wanted to
come, because of Frank's letter. He seemed to think I could put you
through. What has my father to do with it? Halloo! Here is old
Caldwell. Must it be kept dark, Davie?"

David made him no answer. Unconsciously he had been looking forward to
the time of Philip's coming home, with hope that in some way or other
light might be thrown on the matter that had darkened all the summer to
him, but Philip evidently knew nothing of it, and all must be as before.
If he could have got away without being questioned, he would have gone,
for he was by no means sure that he might not disgrace himself by
breaking into angry words, or even into tears. He certainly must have
done one or other if he had tried to speak, but he did not need to
answer.

"So you have come home!" said Mr Caldwell, as he came forward. "You
have not been in haste."

"I beg your pardon. I _have_ been in haste. I did not intend to come
home for ten days yet, if I had been allowed to have my own way about
it."

"And what hindered you? Matters of importance, doubtless."

"You may be sure of that. Has my father gone home? I will just see him
a minute, and then I'll go home with you, Davie," said Philip, turning
towards his father's door. "David has important business with me,"
added he, looking over his shoulder with his hand on the door-handle.

David shook his head.

"Your father will tell you all about it," said he, hoarsely.

Philip whistled and came back again.

"That is the way, is it?"

"Or I will tell you," said Mr Caldwell, gravely. "Young man, what did
your brother Frank say to you in the letter he wrote to you a while
ago?"

Philip looked at him in surprise.

"What is that to you, sir? He said--I don't very well know what he
said. It was a mysterious epistle altogether, and so blurred and
blotted that I could hardly read it. But I made out that Davie was in
trouble, and that I was expected home to bring him through."

Searching through his many pockets, he at last found his brother's
letter and held it out to David. "Perhaps you can make it out," said
he.

Blurred and blotted it was, and the lines were crooked, and in some
places they ran into each other, and David did not wonder that Philip
could not read it very well. He saw his own name in it and Violet's,
and he knew of course that what Frank had to say was about the lost
money, but he could see also that the s