ast it was
arranged that Buttar should ride back, to announce what had become of
the other two, and that Ernest should remain to help to look after
Ellis.

In the evening, when Ellis went to sleep, the rest of the party, with
the exception of Mr and Mrs Arden's son, who sat watching by his side,
were in the drawing-room.

"You are not a stranger to us," said Mrs Arden to Ernest. "We have the
pleasure of knowing your family; and, if I mistake not, my son and your
companion are old friends. My son thought so when he saw him, but was
afraid to ask, lest he should agitate him. The meeting is most
fortunate. My son, who was at school with him, has long been wishing to
find him, but he could not discover his address. He was the means of
causing a most undeserved suspicion to be cast on your friend's
character, though he had the satisfaction of knowing that his master
fully exonerated him. It must be acknowledged that there were
suspicious circumstances against Edward Ellis, but my son felt sure that
he was altogether incapable of the act imputed to him."

Mrs Arden then told Ernest all the circumstances which he had already
heard from Selby.

"Now comes the part of the story most grievous to my son. Many months
afterwards, he discovered the money he had lost in the secret drawer of
his desk, where he put it that he might carry some silver in his purse.
The silver he spent, and he has no doubt that he dropped the purse when
pulling out his knife and some string from his pocket, exactly at the
place where it was found."

Ernest was overjoyed at hearing this. "I am certain Edward Ellis would
consent gladly to be run away with a hundred times, and have his
collar-bone broken each time, for the sake of hearing this," he
exclaimed, warmly.

After a time Henry Arden came down, and expressed his sorrow at his
carelessness, and earnest wish to make all the amends in his power; and
Ernest told him that the best amends he could make would be to come to
school, and thoroughly to exculpate Ellis by telling the whole story.
This he promised to do, and when Mr and Mrs Arden heard an account of
the school, they declared their intention of sending their son to remain
there permanently.

I need not describe the heartfelt satisfaction of Ellis, when he got
better, at meeting his old school-fellow, and hearing from him the
explanation of the mysterious circumstance which had so long really
embittered his existence. Those were