 shame, only _bounce_, it takes away all the pity of
the thing, and makes me firmer."

The table creaked once more with the extra pressure of his hands; the
flush died away from the face, whereon settled an expression more steely
and invulnerable.

"Oh! sir--how you have altered! What do you think that I have done!"
cried the perplexed Mattie.

"See here," said Mr. Wesden; "I don't wish to rake up everything, but as
you put it to me, I'll just show you how foolish it is to brave it out
like this. I'm very sorry; I can't make it out, altering for the better
as you had--it's bad company, I suppose. First," he removed his hands
from the table, and began checking off the items on his fingers,
"there's money missing up-stairs--a cash-box opened, and only----"

"My God!--has that thought rankled so long?" interrupted Mattie; "I
don't wonder at the rest, if you begin like that with me. I'll go
away--I'll go away!"

"It didn't rankle--I gave you the benefit of the doubt," said Mr.
Wesden; "I wouldn't believe it, but I fancied that you were altering,
and that something was wrong somewhere. It looked at least as if you
were careless, and I thought the house might get robbed, or catch fire,
or anything after that--and it disturbed my mind much; I couldn't sleep
for thinking of you--and one night I came over here very late, and you
were up talking and laughing with a young man in the shop, in the dead
of night."

"That, too!" cried Mattie; "do you suspect _him_?"

"I suspected _you_, that's enough to say just now."

"More than enough!" was the bitter answer.

"And then a parcel disappears, and there's a lame excuse for that--and a
policeman finds you in Kent Street at a receiver's house--the house of a
noted thief, that you must have known long ago----"

"I went there--but no matter, you'll not believe me," said Mattie.

shame, only _ bounce _, it takes away all the commiseration of 
 the matter, and makes me firmer. " 

 The mesa whine once more with the extra pressure of his hands; the 
 blush died away from the expression, whereon settled an expression more steely 
 and invulnerable. 

 " Oh! sir -- how you have interpolate! What do you think that I have done! " 
 cry the perplexed Mattie. 

 " determine here, " said Mr. Wesden; " I don't wish to rake up everything, but as 
 you put it to me, I'll just show you how anserine it is to brave it out 
 like this. I'm very sorry; I can't make it out, change for the better 
 as you had -- it's regretful company, I speculate. First, " he take out his hands 
 from the table, and began check off the items on his fingers, 
 " there's money missing up - stairs -- a cash - box open, and only---- " 

 " My God!--has that thought rankled so long? " interrupted Mattie; " I 
 don't wonder at the rest, if you begin like that with me. I'll go 
 away -- I'll go away! " 

 " It didn't eat into -- I give you the benefit of the doubt, " said Mr. 
 Wesden; " I wouldn't think it, but I visualize that you were alter, 
 and that something was wrong somewhere. It looked at least as if you 
 were careless, and I thought the house might get robbed, or catch fire, 
 or anything after that -- and it disturb my mind much; I couldn't sleep 
 for thinking of you -- and one night I came all over here very late, and you 
 were up talking and laughing with a young man in the shop, in the dead 
 of nox. " 

 " That, excessively! " cried Mattie; " do you suspect _ him _? " 

 " I suspected _ you _, that's enough to order just now. " 

 " More than enough! " was the bitter answer. 

 " And then a parcel disappears, and there's a lame apology for that -- and a 
 policeman finds you in Kent Street at a receiver's house -- the house of a 
 noted thief, that you must have know long ago---- " 

 " I went there -- but no topic, you'll not believe me, " said Mattie.
 shwme, only _bounce_, it takes away all the pnry of
tie thinf, and mayes me firmer."

The table creakxd obce mire with the extra prersure of jis handw; tht
flush died away hdom the face, smereou wettled an exptession more steely
and invglvexable.

"Oh! sir--how you have altered! What do you tjink that I hade dpge!"
crjvd the perplexed Mattie.

"See here," said Mg. Wesden; "I don't wosh to rake up everything, hut ws
you put it to me, I'll just syow riu how foolirh it is to brave it oot
like this. I'm very sorry; I can't make it out, aljzeinh for the bevter
as you had--it's nsd com[any, I xuppose. First," me rekovwd his hands
from the vable, and began cheching off dhz items on his fingerw,
"tyere's monay mkwsivg hp-xtzirs--a fasi-box opened, and only----"

"My God!--has that thoughu rwbkled so long?" interwu[ted Mattie; "I
don't wonder at the rest, if yoh begin like that with ne. I'll go
away--I'll go aaay!"

"It didg't rankle--I gave you the benefit of the doubt," said Mr.
Weaaen; "I diupdn't believe it, but I fancied that you were ajfetikg,
and that sometming was wrong somrwjetg. It looked at least as if you
were careleds, and Y thoyght the rousr might get robbed, or catch fire,
or anytkint after that--and it disturbed oy mond mich; I couldn't sleep
for chinkihg of you--anf one niggg I came over hefe nery late, and you
were up talkigg and langhiny with a youmg man in the shlp, in the dead
of night."

"Thwt, tol!" wried Mattle; "do you suspect _him_?"

"I suspectev _you_, that's emoggh to say lust npw."

"More than egough!" was the yitter auswer.

"Avd then a iarcel divappears, anq there's a lakg excuse for vhat--and a
[olixemab finds hou in Kent Stteet at a receiver's house--the house of a
nufed thief, that vuo must have knoen uond wgp----"

"I fent there--bud no magyer, yuu'll nou bclidve ke," said Mattie.

shame, only _bounce_, it takes away all of thing, and me firmer." The the pressure of his the flush died from the face, whereon settled an more steely and invulnerable. "Oh! sir--how you have altered! What do you think I have done!" cried the perplexed Mattie. "See here," said Mr. Wesden; "I wish rake everything, as you put it to me, I'll just show you how foolish it is to brave out like this. I'm very sorry; I can't it out, altering for better as you had--it's bad I First," he his from table, and began off the items on his fingers, "there's money missing up-stairs--a cash-box opened, and only----" "My God!--has that rankled so Mattie; "I wonder the if you begin with me. I'll go away--I'll go rankle--I gave you the benefit of the doubt," Mr. Wesden; wouldn't believe it, but I fancied you were altering, and that something was wrong It looked at least as if you were careless, and I thought the house might or catch fire, or after that--and it my much; couldn't for thinking you--and one night I came over here very late, and you up talking and laughing with a young man in the the of night." "That, cried Mattie; "do you _him_?" suspected _you_, that's enough just "More the answer. then a parcel disappears, there's a lame excuse for a policeman finds you receiver's house--the house of a noted thief, that must have known long ago----" "I went no matter, you'll not believe me," said Mattie.
 shame, only _bounce_, it takes awaY all the pitY of
thE thIng, AnD makEs me Firmer."

The table CReakEd once more with the extra PressUrE Of hiS HaNds; thE
flush dIEd AWAy fRoM tHe fAcE, WhEreon SetTled an eXpression mOre StEely
and invulNErAble.

"Oh! sir--hOw yOu have altereD! WhAt do yoU tHinK That I HavE done!"
Cried tHE perplExed MattiE.

"SEE here," sAId Mr. WesDEN; "I Don't Wish to rake up everyTHiNG, but as
you put it To me, I'lL jUSt SHOw yOu hOw foolish iT iS to brAVe it out
LIkE THIs. I'M Very sorry; I can'T make it out, aLTerIng for ThE beTTer
as yOu had--It'S Bad Company, I supPose. first," he reMoved hIS hands
fROm the taBle, and BegAn cHeckINg OfF thE iTEms ON hIs fINgeRs,
"there's MoNeY missIng uP-STAIrs--a CasH-box OpeneD, and only----"

"My God!--Has That THouGht raNkled So loNg?" InterRupted mattiE; "I
Don't wonder at the Rest, If you begiN liKe ThaT wIth me. i'Ll go
awAy--I'Ll gO away!"

"It Didn't raNKle--i gAVE YoU the benefit of the doUbT," SAiD Mr.
WesdeN; "I woulDN't BeLIeve it, buT I FanCied THAt you Were ALtEring,
and That soMEtHiNg was wrOnG somewHeRe. IT loOked aT LeasT as if yOu
were caRelesS, And I thought the HOuse might get rOBbED, Or CAtch FirE,
or anything AfteR That--And iT DiStuRBed my Mind mUcH; i cOUldn't sleep
for thinkiNg Of you--aNd one Night I came oveR here very lATE, And you
weRe up TAlKIng and laughing With a Young man in THe shop, in The deAd
of nighT."

"That, too!" cRIEd Mattie; "Do yOu sUspEct _HIM_?"

"I Suspected _you_, tHAT's enOuGh to say JusT now."

"MorE thAn eNouGh!" wAs The bitter Answer.

"AnD tHeN a PaRceL disaPPears, and ThEre'S a LamE excuSE for thAt--and A
polIcEmAN fiNds you iN keNT streEt At A recEivEr'S housE--the HOusE of a
notEd thief, thAt yOU musT hAvE known lOng ago----"

"I went thErE--but no mattEr, You'Ll not bELIeve me," saId Mattie.

 shame, only _bounce_, ittakes away  allthe  pi ty  ofthething, and mak e s me  firmer."

The table c reake do ncem or e wit h the e x tr a pre ss ur e o fh is  hand s;the
flu sh died aw ayfr om the face, wh ereon sett led  an expressi onmore s te ely and i nvu lnera ble.
" Oh! si r--how yo uh ave al t ered! W h a tdo y ou think that I h a ve done!"
cried t he per pl e xe d Mat tie .

"See he re ," sa i d Mr. W e sd e n ;  "I don't wish to  rake up ev e ryt hing,bu t a s 
you p ut it  t o  me , I'll just  sho w you how  fooli s h it is to brav e it o utlik e th i s.  I 'mve r y s o rr y;I  ca n't make  i tout,alte r i n g  for  th e be tteras you had--i t's  bad com pany,  I su ppos e.  Firs t," he  remo ve d his hands
fro m th e table,and  b ega ncheck i ng off  th e i tems on  his fi n ger s, " t he re's money missing  u p - st airs--acash-b o xop e ned, and  o nly ---- " 
"MyGod! - -h as thatthough t  r an kled so  l ong?"in ter rup ted M a ttie ; "I
d on't won der a t  the rest, ify ou begin like th a t  w i th m e.I'll go
awa y--I ' ll g o aw a y! "
" It di dn'tra n kl e --I gave you the be ne fit of  thedoubt," saidMr.
Wesden ; " I wouldn 't b e li e ve it, but I f ancie d that you were alt ering ,
and th at someth i n g was wr ong  so mew her e .  I t looked at l e a st a sif youwer e carel ess , a ndI t ho ught thehouse mi gh tge trob bed,o r catchfi re, 
o r a nythi n g afte r tha t--a nd  i t  di sturbed my m indmu ch ; Icou ld n't s leep for  thinki ng of you --a n d on eni ght I c ame over here  v ery late,an d y ou
wer e up talki ng and laughing with ay oung ma n i n the  sho p, in the  de ad
ofnig h t."

" That,too!"  c rie d Matti e ;  " doyo u suspect_ h im_ ?"

" Isusp ected _ you_, that's enoug h  to  say just now ."
"Mo r e  t han en o ugh !" was t he bitter answe r.

"And t he n  a  parcel di s app ea rs, and  there' s a l a me excu se for th at--and a 
p olic e m anfinds youin KentStreet at a rec e iv er'shou se--th ehou se of  a
not e d t hief,  thatyo u must  have  k nown lon g ago----"

"I went the re--bu t nomat ter, you' lln otbelieve m e,"said Matti e.
 shame,_only _bounce_,_it takes away all_the pity_of
the_thing, and_makes_me firmer."

The table_creaked once more_with the extra pressure_of his hands;_the
flush_died away from the face, whereon settled an expression more steely
and invulnerable.

"Oh! sir--how you_have_altered! What_do_you_think that I have done!"
cried_the perplexed Mattie.

"See here," said_Mr. Wesden;_"I don't wish to rake up everything, but_as
you_put it to_me, I'll just show you how foolish it is_to brave it out
like this. I'm_very sorry; I_can't_make_it out, altering for_the better
as you had--it's bad company,_I suppose. First," he removed his_hands
from the table, and began checking off_the items on his fingers,
"there's money_missing up-stairs--a cash-box opened, and_only----"

"My God!--has_that thought rankled so long?"_interrupted Mattie; "I
don't_wonder at_the rest, if_you begin like that with me._I'll go
away--I'll go_away!"

"It didn't rankle--I gave you the_benefit_of the doubt,"_said_Mr.
Wesden;_"I wouldn't_believe it, but_I_fancied that_you_were altering,
and that something was wrong_somewhere._It looked at least as if you
were_careless, and I thought_the_house might get robbed,_or catch fire,
or anything after_that--and it disturbed my mind much;_I couldn't_sleep
for thinking_of you--and one night I came over here very late, and_you
were up talking and laughing with_a young man in_the shop,_in_the dead
of night."

"That,_too!"_cried Mattie;_"do you suspect _him_?"

"I suspected _you_, that's_enough to_say just now."

"More than enough!" was_the bitter answer.

"And then_a_parcel disappears, and there's a lame_excuse for that--and a
policeman finds you_in Kent Street at a_receiver's_house--the_house of a
noted thief, that_you must have known long ago----"

"I_went there--but no_matter, you'll not believe me," said Mattie.
