It's a shame to wake him," thought Jerry; "cup o' tea's a fine thing
when you're tired out, but a good long sleep's a deal better. Poor
chap, I won't disturb him, but I'll take the tea in and put it on a
chair by his bedside. He shall see as I didn't forget him in trouble.
On'y to think him a real gent with a handle to his name and lots of
money to come in for when he's one-and-twenty. Right as a trivet
yes'day morning and now in such a hobble as this, just like any common
chap as goes and kills his mate. They can't hang him, but I s'pose
they'll give it to him pretty hot, poor chap! Juries is such beasts,
they'd take 'n give it to him hard because he's a real gent, and make as
though keeping up the glorious constitootion and freedom and liberty of
the subject to everybody alike. Well, I s'pose it's right, but I'd let
him off in a minute if I was the judge.--Come on!"

This was to the tea, whose fragrance he sniffed as he neared the waiter,
and went softly to the archway where the curtain shut off the bedroom.

"Poor boy!--for he is nothing but a boy--I am sorry for him, and no
mistake. Well, ups and downs in life we see, and you can't escape
troubles, even if you're a Prince o' Wales."

Jerry softly drew the curtain aside and peered through without a sound;
and as he let the heavy drapery fall, he uttered an ejaculation, put the
tray on the washstand, and swung the heavy curtains right along the
brass pole, making the rings give quite a clash, as the morning sun
shone through, showing that the bed had not been disturbed.

In an instant the man's eyes were searching about the room, and he saw
that a suit of clothes lay where they had been tossed upon a chair,
while a wardrobe door was open.

He darted to that, made a hasty examination, and muttered--

"Brown velveteens! No, it ain't. Here they are. It's his dark tweeds,
and--no--yes: dark stockings."

He continued his examination in the bedroom, but could make out nothing
else.

"Only gone for a walk before anyone's up, poor chap! Hadn't the heart
to go to bed. More hadn't I at the time. He ain't taken nothing. He
can't have--he wouldn't have--I don't know though--I--oh, he couldn't
have--Let's see--"

He hurried downstairs and went to the front door, then to the
dining-room, drawing-room, and study, as well as the room set apart for
the pupils; but the windows were closed, and he went slowly upstairs
again to pause by the staircase window.

"A