ct that if Mr. Moorsby had got up he would have said just
the same things."

"I will leave you here for a few minutes, Julian. I must run round and
tell Aunt; she is in a fearful stew about you."

Frank ran out at the main entrance. A number of fishermen were hanging
about outside. Bill came up to him:

"Isn't Mr. Julian coming out, Master Frank?"

"Not at present. The magistrates don't want any fuss in the streets, no
more does my brother, and he will stay there till every one has cleared
off, so the best thing you can do, Bill, is to persuade the others to go
off home. Julian knows well enough that you are all pleased that he has
got off, but you see if there were a fuss got up about it in the streets
it would do him harm and not good."

"All right, sir, I will get them off. They just wanted to give him a
cheer."

"Well, they did that in Court, Bill, and you know that he appreciates
their good intentions. Well, I must be off."

Mrs. Troutbeck was still on the watch. However, she did not come to the
door. Frank opened it, and ran into the parlour. His Aunt had dropped
into a chair, with her handkerchief to her eyes.

"So he has not come back with you, Frank. It is dreadful. What are they
going to do with him?"

"They are not going to do anything, Aunt. He has been acquitted. Only
he did not come home with me because there are a lot of sailors waiting
outside to cheer him, and the magistrates did not want a row over him,
nor did Julian either. I have just run home to tell you that it is all
right, and now I am going back for him. I expect by the time I get there
they will all have gone, and we may be home in a quarter of an hour, so
I think, Aunt, the best thing you can do is to get tea ready, for I
don't expect he has had much to eat there, or any appetite to eat it."

It was good advice, for Mrs. Troutbeck was on the point of going into
hysterics from joy and relief. However, the thought of the necessity for
getting a good meal to welcome Julian on his arrival turned her thoughts
into another channel, and, wiping her eyes hastily, she rose and gave
directions, while Frank started again for the court-house. The fishermen
had left, but there were still a number of boys about the place. The
private entrance was, however, free from observers, and the brothers
started at once, keeping to the back streets until they neared the
house.

"My dear Julian," Mrs. Troutbeck exclaimed as she threw her arms round
his n