n the best possible manner, and no one but ourselves
need know anything of the sad affair; let him return with you for a time
to his home, and I trust the lesson will not be lost upon him. When he
first came to the city, I am positive that he was an honourable and
pure-minded young man, but evil companions have led him astray, and we
must try and save him from ruin."

I had never seen Mr. Worthing, but I at once felt much respect for
him, for the lenity and discretion he had shown in the matter. To no one
but his own family and myself did Mr. Sinclair reveal the contents of
that letter; but the very evening after my arrival in Littleton we set
out on our journey to Boston, and, upon arriving there, we proceeded at
once to the residence of Mr. Worthing, where we learned all the
particulars of Arthur's guilt. Mr. Worthing stated that he had ever
entertained a very high opinion of Arthur, and, when he missed various
sums of money in a most unaccountable manner, he never thought of fixing
suspicion upon him, till circumstances came to his knowledge which left
no room for doubt; but, owing to the high regard he entertained for his
parents, with whom he had (years since) been intimately acquainted, he
said nothing to the young man of the proofs of his dishonesty which had
come to his knowledge, and still retained him in his employ till he
could communicate with his father, that they together might devise some
means of preventing the affair from becoming public. After Mr. Sinclair
had listened to the plain statement of the affair by Mr. Worthing, he
requested him as nearly as possible to give him an estimate of the
amount of money he had lost. He did so, and Mr. Sinclair immediately
placed an equivalent sum in his hands, saying: "I am glad to be able so
far to undo the wrong of which my son has been guilty." All this time
Arthur knew nothing of our arrival in the city; but when his father
dispatched a message, requesting him to meet him at the house of his
employer, he was very soon in our presence. I hope I may never again
witness another meeting like that one, between the father and son. When
charged with the crime, Arthur at first made a feeble attempt at denial,
till finding the strong proofs against him, he owned all with shame and
humiliation of countenance. The stern grief of Mr. Sinclair was
something fearful to witness. "How could you" said he, addressing
Arthur, "commit so base a deed? Tell me, my son, in what duty I