away with
them, Seymour beginning directly to munch at his slice, while Duncan put
his into his pocket.

'Papa didn't say we _must_ go home,' he observed,--'he only said we
_might_ if we liked; so you can go, and I'll try and find Bob, and tell
him I'll give him this piece of cake if he'll give back the thermometer.
I'm so afraid, if he doesn't, Johnnie'll get into trouble; and besides,
it's so wicked to steal.'

'Yes,' said Seymour with his mouth full of cake; 'and I'll tell you
what, Duncan,' reluctantly but firmly, 'you may take the rest of my
piece too.'

Duncan, however, declined this, and trudged away, resolutely resisting,
as he went along, the temptation to eat even a _crumb_ of his own
delicious-looking slice. He soon arrived at Mrs. Middleton's cottage,
but of course Bob was not there; and his mother, who was a widow, and
supported herself by washing, came to the door with her arms covered
with soap-suds, and after hastily answering that 'Bob was nowhere's
about, plunged them in the wash-tub again, and took no more heed of
Duncan. He hesitated whether to tell her about the thermometer or not,
but had been so impressed with the naughtiness of 'telling tales,' that
he could not make up his mind it could be right, even in this case, and
so turned away and ran back to the desert, where he found his father
speaking to Honorius and Johnnie.

'Didn't you remember, boys, what I said about Bob when you wanted to
take him out fishing with you?' he was asking.

'It was to me you said it; Honorius was not in the room,' Johnnie said
quickly.

'Very well, then, you at any rate knew my opinion of Bob Middleton, and
must have known that you were doing wrong in employing him without my
leave.'

'I didn't think,' said Lackland carelessly.

'Then I must teach you to think. Put down your spade and go into the
house, and up to your room.'

There was no mistaking Dr. Campbell's manner now; even Johnnie was
obliged to perceive the displeasure he had provoked: he stuck his spade
into the ground, and turned towards the house.

Duncan dashed after him. 'Here, Johnnie, take this piece of cake. Mrs.
Western gave it to me; it's so good--do have it, see!'

Lackland was by no means too miserable to appreciate this attempt at
consolation. 'It looks jolly,' he said, 'but I won't take it all; you
must have half yourself, Duncan,' and he broke it in two.

Duncan would rather his brother should have had the whole, but he was
gla