Well, my dear, the law says it is an assault to thrash a boy,
and that he ought to be left to the law to punish, which means prison
and degradation. I'm going to take that cane, my dear, and defy the
law."

But somehow or another Master Bob Dimsted seemed to be as slippery as an
eel. He saw Peter one day and grinned at him from the other side of the
river. Two days later he was seen by Dan'l, who shook his fist at him,
and Bob said--

"Yah!"

"Have you heard from Master Dexter, Miss!" said Mrs Millett one
morning.

"No, Millett, and I am rather surprised. He promised so faithfully to
write."

"Ah, yes, Miss," said the old lady; "and he meant it, poor boy, when he
promised, but boys are such one's to forget."

Helen went into the library where she found the doctor biting the end of
his pen, and gazing up into a corner of the room.

"I don't seem to be getting on as I could wish, my dear. By the way, we
haven't heard from that young dog lately. He promised me faithfully to
write regularly."

Helen thought of Mrs Millett's words, but said nothing, and at that
moment Maria entered with the letters.

"From Dexter?" said Helen eagerly.

"Humph! No! But from Longspruce! I see: from Mr Mastrum."

The doctor read the letter and frowned.

Helen read it, and the tears stood in her eyes.

"The young scoun--"

"Stop, papa!" said Helen earnestly. "Do not condemn him unheard."

"Then I shall have to go on without condemning him, for we've seen the
last of him, I suppose."

"O papa!"

"Well, it looks like it, my dear; and I'm afraid I've made a great
mistake, but I don't like to own it."

"Wait, papa, wait!" said Helen.

"What does he say? Been gone a fortnight, and would not write till he
had had the country round thoroughly searched. Humph! Afraid he has
got to Portsmouth, and gone to sea."

Helen sighed.

"`Sorry to give so bad an account of him,'" muttered the doctor, reading
bits of the letter--"`treated him as his own son--seemed to have an
undercurrent of evil in his nature, impossible to eradicate--tried
everything, but all in vain--was beginning to despair, but still hopeful
that patience might overcome the difficulty--patience combined with
affectionate treatment, but it was in vain--after trying to persuade his
fellow-pupils one by one, and failing, he threatened them savagely if
they dared to betray him, and then he escaped from the grounds, and has
not been seen since.'"

There