.

"You shall see her."

"No--no, Ernest!"

There was a knock at the door. I opened it, and Tom Thornton entered. He
saw me, and turned pale. His victim had risen from the depths of the
ocean to confront him.

"Ah, Ernest," stammered he.

"I am here. E. Dunkswell was a fool as well as a knave."

"What shall be done?" groaned my uncle.

"I was told that you were lost overboard," said Tom, with a struggle to
recover his self-possession.

"E. Dunkswell pushed me overboard; but that act proved to be my
salvation. I won't trouble you with particulars. My mother is in the
parlor."

"Your mother!" exclaimed Tom; and from the height of guilty confidence
he fell to the depth of hopeless despair.

"What shall be done?" repeated my uncle, in hollow tones.

"Justice must be done," I replied.

"You have been smart, Ernest," added Tom, with a sepulchral laugh. "How
can we settle this business?"

"By paying over to Mr. Hale every dollar mentioned in my father's will,"
I replied.

"You are hard, Ernest."

"But I am your guardian and trustee, Ernest," said my uncle.

Tom said half the money was spent, and offered to give up fifty thousand
dollars in United States securities.

"Every dollar," I added.

"I will look it over, Ernest, and see what can be done," replied Tom,
moving to the door.

He rushed out, but only to fall into the arms of my old friend, Mr.
Greene, the deputy-sheriff. Mr. Hale had taken one decisive step. The
officer conducted Tom back to the library, and I went for my mother. I
was afraid my uncle would faint again when she entered the room, but he
did not; and then I was afraid my mother would faint, she was so
agitated.

"Mr. Thornton, this is unpleasant business," said Mr. Hale. "As the
attorney for Mrs. Thornton and her son, I purpose to settle this matter
as quietly as possible. I understand that the property is in the hands
of your son. I procured a warrant for his arrest on the criminal
charge."

"Mercy!" groaned my uncle. "Do not arrest him."

"When he has paid over every dollar mentioned in the will of Ezra
Thornton, we shall be willing to say that no one will appear against
him. My clients do not mention nearly a hundred thousand dollars' income
of which you have defrauded them. These are our best terms."

"That will leave me and my son beggars," whined my uncle.

"As you would have left your brother's legal heirs," replied Mr. Hale,
sternly. "This poor lady has suffered twel