Part 83 (1/2)

For Sam was utterly exhausted by hisvoice, as he went on be hi effect,him feel drowsy; then more drowsy, and at last, when James Brandon paused before the chair in which the lad lay back, and gazed full in his face, saying--

”What I want to know, sir, is, how you could be such an obstinate idiot as to persist in going your oay, after all ht-out advice?--what I want to know, I say, is--why, he's asleep!”

Jaht--his son had dropped off into a deep, dreamless sleep, and it is probable that if he had shouted in his ear instead of speaking in a subdued, hurried voice, he would not have succeeded in awaking hi he said

CHAPTER FORTY SIX

Uncle Richard caht after the robbery, tired out, and glad to go to bed, so that nothing was said respecting the events at the observatory till the nextat breakfast

”Hah! no place like home, Mrs Fidler,” he exclailad to get back to Heatherleigh”

”It does ood to hear you say so, sir,” said the housekeeper, ”for I'rand places you've been at you'll be dissatisfied”

”No fear of that, Mrs Fidler,” said Uncle Richard merrily ”Well, Tom, my lad, I need not ask how you are; you look quite hardy”

”There, Mrs Fidler,” said Tom, ”you hear that?”

”Yes,her lips; ”but you can't deceive me You know you were ill”

”I know you wanted to dose rimace

”Well, sir, who are you that you are not to be dosed with prune tea?”

said Uncle Richard, with a mock-serious look ”Mrs Fidler has on more than one occasion tried to play the doctor's part with me”

”And I'm sure, sir, Iherself up

”Of course you did, Mrs Fidler,” said Uncle Richard Then, to change the conversation--”Well, Toot one perfect yet?”

”Perfect, uncle?” said To ”I'm afraid not”

”So am I, my lad; but have you made one as perfect as possible?”

”Yes, uncle, I've done that,” said To, had been in a state of er to tell his uncle about the breaking into the mill, but fully determined not to say a word--for several reasons--until they were alone

”Well, let's hear what you did”

”Exactly as you told lass, and ground theain, and ended by polishi+ng them one over the other till I think they are as flat as they can possibly be”

”That remains to be proved, Toh for us; but we shall see”

Then the breakfast went on, with Uncle Richard spending a good deal of time over his letters; and at last Mrs Fidler rose and left the rooroith excite about the robbery, and the question was how to begin For the boy felt that he had been left in charge of the observatory, and that his unclein the way of securing the place How then to begin?

While he was e, the difficulty was solved, the announce out quite naturally, just as Toe at once into the story of how he had--in his ignorance--become once more poor