h he had felt more comfortable.

Ernest's mind was drifting back to this youthful escapade when he heard
his father's hand on the door, and in another second Theobald entered.

"Oh, Ernest," said he, in an off-hand, rather cheery manner, "there's a
little matter which I should like you to explain to me, as I have no
doubt you very easily can." Thump, thump, thump, went Ernest's heart
against his ribs; but his father's manner was so much nicer than usual
that he began to think it might be after all only another false alarm.

"It had occurred to your mother and myself that we should like to set you
up with a watch again before you went back to school" ("Oh, that's all,"
said Ernest to himself quite relieved), "and I have been to-day to look
out for a second-hand one which should answer every purpose so long as
you're at school."

Theobald spoke as if watches had half-a-dozen purposes besides
time-keeping, but he could hardly open his mouth without using one or
other of his tags, and "answering every purpose" was one of them.

Ernest was breaking out into the usual expressions of gratitude, when
Theobald continued, "You are interrupting me," and Ernest's heart thumped
again.

"You are interrupting me, Ernest. I have not yet done." Ernest was
instantly dumb.

"I passed several shops with second-hand watches for sale, but I saw none
of a description and price which pleased me, till at last I was shown one
which had, so the shopman said, been left with him recently for sale, and
which I at once recognised as the one which had been given you by your
Aunt Alethea. Even if I had failed to recognise it, as perhaps I might
have done, I should have identified it directly it reached my hands,
inasmuch as it had 'E. P., a present from A. P.' engraved upon the
inside. I need say no more to show that this was the very watch which
you told your mother and me that you had dropped out of your pocket."

Up to this time Theobald's manner had been studiously calm, and his words
had been uttered slowly, but here he suddenly quickened and flung off the
mask as he added the words, "or some such cock and bull story, which your
mother and I were too truthful to disbelieve. You can guess what must be
our feelings now."

Ernest felt that this last home-thrust was just. In his less anxious
moments he had thought his papa and mamma "green" for the readiness with
which they believed him, but he could not deny that their credulity was a