"I fancied I saw something fly along," said Meredith.

"I thought I heard something fall," said another.

"Too cowardly to come openly," said Trevannion.

The room seemed to turn round with Louis.

"How did you come by this?" said Hamilton.

There was no answer.

"I will have an answer, Louis," he said: "and if you don't give it
to me, you shall to Dr. Wilkinson!"

Louis murmured something that no one heard.

"What?" said Hamilton, sharply; "speak so as we can all hear. If you
have brought it back for some one else," he added, in a softened tone,
"say so at once; only let me know who took it."

"I took it," replied Louis, with a great effort.

"You ungrateful viper!" exclaimed Jones.

Hamilton appeared a little moved, but checking the emotion, continued:

"You! for--your--own--especial--gratification? And pray, when might
you have accomplished that adroit and praiseworthy feat?"

"Last Friday," said Louis, in so low a tone, that nothing but the
silence that reigned could have made it audible.

"And what was your motive?" asked Hamilton, leaning back against
the mantelpiece, and putting one foot on the fender behind him.

"Only a little fun!"

"Pretty respectable _fun_!" said Hamilton, contemptuously.

"Gratitude might have restrained you, one would think," said Jones,
"if nothing else would. A pretty return for all Hamilton's kindness,
to set to work to lose him his prize!"

"I didn't, Jones," said Louis, warmly; "I thought it was a letter; I
didn't mean any harm. And as to gratitude--when Hamilton was kind to
me, I was grateful--and I do feel grateful for his kindness now; but
he has been unkind enough lately to make me forget that."

"And reason enough he had," said Meredith. "Unkind, indeed! why no one
else stood your friend when we found out what a tell-tale you were."

"I am sure nobody knew he was my friend then," said Louis, assuming an
air of independence that ill became him. "Only last Friday, he let me
believe that Trevannion had the doctor's Rollin; he offered me his, but
I wasn't likely to take that, and--" Louis hesitated, for Hamilton's eye
was upon him so calmly and inquiringly; and Louis felt he was not likely
to have had such an idea in his head.

"And what?" said Hamilton, quietly.

"Nothing," replied Louis; "I don't believe you knew, only it was rather
strange, Hamilton."

"What was strange?" said Hamilton, in the same unmoved tone.

"Only when I came back into this room,