ar Charley--" cried the General.

"Allow me, please, sir," said my uncle; and I caught sight of the Doctor
raising his hand and making a sign to my mother, as he placed a chair
for her, an act of politeness needed, for she was turning faint. "Now,
sir, speak out--the simple facts, please. What have you been doing?"

"Rabbiting with a ferret, uncle, us two, and this gentleman and Bob
Hopley came and caught us."

"Rabbiting--poaching?"

"Yes, yes, yes," cried the General. "A mere nothing, my dear madam.
The boys were certainly on my grounds watching a poaching scoundrel, and
I--yes, I thought I'd say a word to the Doctor. Bad company for him, a
poacher--eh, my dear Charley?"

"Yes, rather," said my uncle dryly.

"And now," said the General, "Doctor Browne here--my neighbour--will
tell them not to do so any more--eh, Doctor, eh?"

"Certainly," said the Doctor. "I'm sure it will not occur again."

"No, no, of course not," said the General. "Hopley, you can go. Stop!
that ferret belongs to the boys, I think."

"To you, Frank?" said my uncle.

"No, uncle, it's his," I said. "But I was helping to use it."

"Hah! that's better," said my uncle sharply.

"I bought the ferret," said Mercer, speaking for the first time, "but I
don't want it. I'll give it to you, Bob."

"Yes, yes, very wise of you, my lad. There, go now, Hopley," said the
General.

The keeper touched his forehead, and gave a look all round, then winked
solemnly at Mercer and me, and left the room.

"Hah!" said the General; "then that little bit of business is settled,
Doctor, eh? Just a word or two."

"A few admonitions, my dear sir," said the Doctor blandly. "And now, if
you will excuse me for a while, I will retire with Mercer here."

Tom gave me a look so full of appeal, that I ran across to the Doctor.

"Don't punish him, sir!" I said imploringly. "We were both alike."

"What's that, Frank?" said my uncle.

"I asked the Doctor not to punish Tom Mercer, uncle."

"No, no, no: of course not!" cried the General; "I endorse that appeal.
Here, you sir, come to me. Gentlemen don't do such things as that; and
now we all know better, I've got some capital fishing in my ponds and
lakes, and I shall be happy to see you two at any time. There, shake
hands."

Tom jumped at him, and it was pleasant to see how delighted he looked as
he turned and shot a grateful glance at the General before the door
closed on him and the Doctor.

Th