e
suffered for this error, as for others, heavily--more heavily, when he
abandoned his home, than I should ever wish him to know. You said he
lived with you and that you were fond of him. Be gentle with him, now
that he is ill, for his mother's sake.

"My hand grows weaker and weaker: I can write no more. Let me close this
letter by entreating your pardon. If you ever grant it me, then I also
ask your prayers."

With this the letter ended.

Matthew sat holding it open in his hand for a little while. He looked
round once or twice at the enclosed letter from Mr. Thorpe to his son,
which lay close by on the table--but did not destroy it; did not so much
as touch it even.

Zack spoke to him before long from the inner room.

"I'm sure you must have done reading your letter by this time, Mat. I've
been thinking, old fellow, of the talk we used to have, about going back
to America together, and trying a little buffalo hunting and roaming
about in the wilds. If my father takes me into favor again, and can be
got to say Yes, I should so like to go with you, Mat. Not for too long,
you know, because of my mother, and my friends over here. But a sea
voyage, and a little scouring about in what you call the lonesome
places, would do me such good! I don't feel as if I should ever settle
properly to anything, till I've had my fling. I wonder whether my father
would let me go?"

"I know he would, Zack."

"You! How?"

"I'll tell you how another time. You shall have your run, Zack,--you
shall have your heart's content along with me." As he said this, he
looked again at Mr. Thorpe's letter to his son, and took it up in his
hand this time.

"Oh! how I wish I was strong enough to start! Come in here, Mat, and
let's talk about it."

"Wait a bit, and I will." Pronouncing those words, he rose from his
chair. "For your sake, Zack," he said, and dropped the letter into the
fire.

"What can you be about all this time?" asked young Thorpe.

"Do you call to mind," said Mat, going into the bedroom, and sitting
down by the lad's pillow--"Do you call to mind me saying, that I'd be
brothers with you, when first us two come together? Well, Zack, I've
only been trying to be as good as my word."

"Trying? What do you mean? I don't understand, old fellow."

"Never mind: you'll make it out better some day. Let's talk about
getting aboard ship, and going a buffalo-hunting now."

They discussed the projected expedition, until Zack grew s