ur money went, and I
honour you for it, and there stands the man who told me the whole story.
I said, from the first, it was a confounded slander. It was all owing to
the little girl.'

Guy turned his face in amazement towards his uncle, who was only waiting
to explain. 'Never till this morning had I the least suspicion that I
had been the means of bringing you under any imputation. How could you
keep me in ignorance?'

'You have told--'

'Of the cheque,' broke in Mr. Edmonstone, 'and of all the rest, and
of your providing for the little girl. How could you do it with that
pittance of an allowance of yours? And Master Philip saying you never
had any money! No wonder, indeed!'

'If I had known you were pinching yourself,' said Dixon, 'my mind would
have revolted--'

'Let me understand it,' said Guy, grasping the back of a chair. 'Tell
me, Markham. Is it really so? Am I cleared? Has Mr. Edmonstone a right
to be satisfied?'

'Yes, Sir Guy,' was Markham's direct answer. 'Mr. Dixon has accounted
for your disposal of the thirty pound cheque, and there is an end of the
matter.'

Guy drew a long breath, and the convulsive grasp of his fingers relaxed.

'I cannot thank you enough!' said he to his uncle; then to Mr.
Edmonstone, 'how is Charles?'

'Better--much better, you shall see him to-morrow--eh, Guy?'

'But I cannot explain about the one thousand pounds.'

'Never mind--you never had it, so you can't have misspent it. That's
neither here nor there.'

'And you forgive my language respecting you?'

'Nonsense about that! If you never said anything worse than that Philip
was a meddling coxcomb, you haven't much to repent of; and I am sure I
was ten old fools when I let him bore me into writing that letter.'

'No, no; you did right under your belief; and circumstances were strong
against me. And is it clear? Are we where we were before?'

'We are--we are in everything, only we know better what you are worth,
Guy. Shake hands once more. There's an end of all misunderstanding and
vexation, and we shall be all right at home again!'

The shake was a mighty one. Guy shaded his face for a moment or two, and
then said--

'It is too much. I don't understand it. How did you know this matter
wanted explanation?' said he, turning to his uncle.

'I learnt it from Mr. Markham, and you will do me the justice to
believe, that I was greatly shocked to find that your generosity--'

'The truth of the matter is this,' said M