ore and more stern, while a sensation of mingled bitterness and
pain made him silent for some little time.

They walked on in silence, till suddenly Mr Temple's eyes lit upon the
top of the gilt-edged cigar-case sticking out of Dick's pocket.

"What have you there, Dick?" he said rather sternly.

"Where, father?"

"In your pocket."

"Nothing, father. My knife and things are in the other clothes. Oh,
this!" he said, suddenly remembering the case, and turning scarlet.

"Yes," said Mr Temple severely, "that! Open it."

Dick took the case from his pocket slowly and opened it.

"I thought so," said Mr Temple sternly. "Cigars for a boy not sixteen!
Are you aware, sir, that what may be perfectly correct in a man is
often in a boy nothing better than a vice."

"Yes, father," said Dick humbly.

"So you have taken to smoking?"

"No, father."

"Don't tell me a falsehood, sir!" cried Mr Temple hotly. "How dare you
deny it when you have that case in your hand. Now, look here, sir: I
want to treat my boys as lads who are growing into men. I am not going
to talk to you about punishment--I don't believe in coarse punishments.
I want there to be a manly feeling of confidence between me and my
boys."

Dick winced at that word confidence, and he wanted to say frankly that
the case belonged to Arthur; but it seemed to him so mean to get out of
a scrape by laying the blame upon another; and, besides, he knew how
particular his father was about Arthur, and how he would be hurt and
annoyed if he knew that his brother smoked.

"I am more angry than I could say," continued Mr Temple; "and I suppose
I ought to take away that case, in which you have been foolish enough to
spend your pocket-money; but I will not treat my boys as if I were a
schoolmaster confiscating their playthings. Don't let me see that
again."

"No, father," said Dick, with a sigh of relief, though he felt very
miserable, and in momentary dread lest his father should ask him some
pointed question to which he would be bound to reply.

They walked on in silence for some minutes, and the beautiful morning
and grand Cornish scenery were losing half their charms, when Mr Temple
finished his remarks about the cigar-case with:

"Did you smoke yesterday, Dick?"

"No, father?"

"Were you going to smoke to-day?"

"No, father."

"Honour, Dick?"

"Honour, father, and I won't smoke till you tell me I may."

Mr Temple looked at him for a moment, and the