. I'll tell
him.'

"I did not wait for the old man to alter his mind, but hastened as fast
as I could to the parsonage-house, which was not four hundred yards
distant. I went to the door and asked for Mr Sewell, who came out to
me. I told him that old Roberts wanted to see him immediately, as he
had an important confession to make.

"`Is the old man going, then? I did not hear that he was any way
dangerously ill?'

"`No, sir, he is in his usual health, but he has something very heavy on
his conscience, and he begs your presence immediately that he may reveal
an important secret.'

"`Well, my lad, go back to him and say that I will be there in two
hours. You are his grandson, I believe?'

"`I will go and tell him, sir,' replied I, evading the last question.

"I returned to old Roberts, and informed him that the clergyman would be
with him in an hour or two, but I found the old man already hesitating
and doubting again:--

"`You didn't tell him what it was for, did you? for perhaps--'

"`Yes, I did. I told him you had an important secret to communicate
that lay heavy on your conscience.'

"`I'm sadly puzzled,' said the old man, musing.

"`Well,' replied I, `I'm not puzzled; and if you don't confess, I must.
I won't have my conscience loaded, poor fellow that I am; and if you
choose to die with the sin upon you of depriving the orphan, I will
not.'

"`I'll tell--tell it all--it's the best way,' replied old Roberts, after
a pause.

"`There now,' said I, `the best thing to be done is for me to get paper
and pen, and write it all down for Mr Sewell to read when he comes;
then you need not have to repeat it all again.'

"`Yes, that will be best, for I couldn't face the clergyman.'

"`Then how can you expect to face the Almighty?' replied I.

"`True--very true: get the paper,' said he.

"I went to the inn and procured writing materials, and then returned and
took down his confession of what I have now told you, Miss Valerie.
When Mr Sewell came, I had just finished it, and I then told him that I
had written it down, and handed it to him to read. Mr Sewell was much
surprised and shocked, and said to Roberts, `You have done right to make
this confession, Roberts, for it may be most important; but you must now
swear to it in the presence of a magistrate and me. Of course, you have
no objection?'

"`No, sir; I'm ready to swear to the truth of every word.'

"`Well, then, let me see. Why, there is no