d I wanted to look for you and say that I couldn't find you,
and so call the attention of the officers to your absence. The night
your father died, you know. But you were there asleep, and I felt in
your blouse, and found the packet. You had better get it out of my
jacket now."

Zaidos unwillingly felt once more through the pocket. "It is empty,"
he said.

Velo thought a moment.

"I had it in my hand just now," he said. "Look on the ground."

The papers lay beside Velo's hand. Zaidos picked them up, and put them
in his pocket.

"I have them," he said gruffly.

"I'm glad of that," said Velo. "Zaidos, I sold my soul for those
papers. I have been a bad boy all my life, not because I had bad
surroundings, not because I was neglected. Your father was as good to
me as he could be. I just thought it was smart to be bad. I don't
think I hated you because of all your money and your title as much as I
did because I knew you were square. I knew it as soon as you came into
your father's house that night. I could see it in your face, and hear
it in your voice, and feel it in your hand-shake. I knew you would
never stand for the sort of life I led, and I hated you for it, Zaidos.
And so it went from bad to worse, until I shot at you. You _must_
forgive me, Zaidos!"

"I can't," said Zaidos stubbornly. "What's the use of my saying I do,
if I don't?"

"Oh, you _must_ forgive me!" begged the dying boy. "I am so sorry, so
sorry! You can't see anyone as sorry as I am and not forgive them.
Please, Zaidos! I can't bear it unless you do!"

"No," said Zaidos again.

Velo did not speak. When you are asked to forgive a wrong, and you
refuse, it turns the punishment on you. Velo was silent, but Zaidos
commenced to suffer. He could feel himself growing hard and cruel.
After all, Velo had not succeeded in injuring him much, and Velo
himself was dying fast. He could see it. But something kept him
silent. He could not say the words Velo had begged to hear, and he
stared back while Velo looked at him with dumb and suffering eyes.

"Oh, forgive me!" begged Velo with a dry sob that racked him. "Zaidos,
be as good as you can, but don't be hard! You can't tell what
temptations people have. It is a terrible thing to be hard. Don't do
it, Zaidos! There are so many hard people--hard teachers and hard
fathers who don't know how fellows are tempted and how they suffer. I
am dying, Zaidos, and I tell you don't be ha