not mean to, Dad," said Rob quickly, as if springing to
the fallen disciple's defence. "He forgot, just for a moment, and was
awfully sorry afterwards."

"Yes, truly," said his father, "and that was the first step back."

For a few moments Rob remained silent, his face sad and troubled.

"Man! It must be terrible!" at length he said, more to himself than
to his father. The Doctor looked closely at the little lad. The eager,
sensitive face, usually so radiant, was now clouded and sad.

"What is it, Rob? Is it something you can tell me?" asked his father in
a tone of friendly kindness.

Rob moved closer to him. The father waited in silence. He knew better
than to force an unwilling confidence. At length the lad, with an
obvious effort at self-command, said:

"It is to-morrow, Daddy, that Cameron--that Mr. Cameron is going away."

"To-morrow? So it is. And you will be very sorry, Rob. But, of course,
he will come back."

"Oh, Dad," cried Rob, coming quite close to his father, "it isn't that!
It isn't that!"

His father waited. He did not understand his boy's trouble, and so he
wisely refrained from uttering word that might hinder rather than help.
At length, with a sudden effort, Rob asked in a low, hurried voice:

"Do you think, Dad, he has--got--back?"

"Got back?" said his father. "Oh, I see. Why, my boy? What do you know
of it? Did you know there was a letter from a man named Potts, that
completely clears your friend of all crime?"

"Is there?" asked the boy quickly. "Man! That is fine! But I always knew
he could not do anything really bad--I mean, anything that the police
could touch him for. But it is not that, Dad. I have heard Jack say he
used to be different when he came down first, and now sometimes he--"
The lad's voice fell silent. He could not bring himself to accuse his
hero of any evil. His father drew him close to his side.

"You mean that he has fallen into bad ways--drink, and things like
that?"

The boy hung his head; he was keenly ashamed for his friend. After a few
moments' silence he said:

"And he is going away to Canada to-morrow, and I wonder, Dad, if he
has--got--back? It would be terrible--Oh, Dad, all alone and away
from--!"

The boy's voice sank to a whisper, and a rush of tears filled his eyes.

"I see what you mean, my boy. You mean it would be terrible for him to
be in that far land, and away from that Friend we know and love best."

The lad looked at his father through