ownwards
in the effort to keep back an indignant reply, without bursting out in
exculpation; and Richard looked up, while the three sisters all at once
began, "Oh, no, no, papa"--and left Margaret to finish--"Poor little Tom
had not always been quite sincere."

"Indeed! and why was I left to send him to school without knowing it?
The place of all others to foster deceit."

"It was my fault, papa," said Margaret.

"And mine," put in Richard; and she continued, "Ethel told us we were
very wrong, and I wish we had followed her advice. It was by far the
best, but we were afraid of vexing you."

"Every one seems to have been combined to hide what they ought not!"
said Dr. May, though speaking to her much more softly than to Norman, to
whom he turned angrily again. "Pray, how came you not to identify this
paper?"

"I did not know it," said Norman, speaking with difficulty. "He ought
never to have been sent to school," said the doctor--"that tendency was
the very worst beginning."

"It was a great pity; I was very wrong," said Margaret, in great
concern.

"I did not mean to blame you, my dear," said her father affectionately.
"I know you only meant to act for the best, but--" and he put his hand
over his face, and then came the sighing groan, which pained Margaret
ten thousand times more than reproaches, and which, in an instant,
dispersed all the indignation burning within Norman, though the pain
remained at his father's thinking him guilty of neglect, but he did not
like, at that moment, to speak in self-justification.

After a short space, Dr. May desired to hear what were the deceptions
to which Margaret had alluded, and made Norman tell what he knew of the
affair of the blotted book. Ethel spoke hopefully when she had heard it.
"Well, do you know, I think he will do better now. You see, Edward made
him conceal it, and he has been going on with it on his mind, and in
that boy's power ever since; but now it is cleared up and confessed, he
will begin afresh and do better. Don't you think so, Norman? don't you,
papa?"

"I should have more hope if I had seen anything like confession or
repentance," said Dr. May; "but that provoked me more than all--I
could only perceive that he was sorry to be found out, and afraid of
punishment."

"Perhaps, when he has recovered the first fright, he will come to his
better self," said Margaret; for she guessed, what indeed was the case,
that the doctor's anger on this first shoc