Part 85 (1/2)
”I'm afraid so, uncle When he came down here, and I took him about and showed him the place, I remember he asked me as kept there, and I said you kept your valuable papers there”
”Humph!” ejaculated Uncle Richard
”But if you do think it could have been Saain, sir,” cried Uncle Richard; ”are you keeping anything back?
Are you sure that you did not recognise him by solimpse of his face?”
”No, uncle,” said Tohtest idea as to whole, and he had got away Then I'm afraid I made sure it was he”
”Humph!”
”But if you think it was he, uncle--”
”I do think it was, Tom I feel sure of it, my boy”
”But you won't punish him, uncle?”
”I have punished him, Tom”
”What, you knew, and you have done this?” cried Toht his uncle by the arm
”I have punished hiiven up the money a dozen times over I wish I'd never known of it Think what it istrate would treat him like a thief”
”Well, he is a thief,” said Uncle Richard sternly
”Yes; but oughtn't we to hide it from the world, uncle? He is only a boy, and it will spoil his whole life I'd give the money, I say, a dozen times over sooner than he should be punished Boys are stupid and thoughtless, uncle; they often do things in haste that they would not do if they considered first, and such a little thing someti, Tom?”
”No, uncle,” cried Tom piteously; ”but it would be so horrible He is my own cousin”
”Yes, Tom, and my own brother's son”
”Yes, uncle; and he never liked me, and I never liked hi a word”
”Then you o scot free, sooner than have hie?”
”Yes, uncle, I would,” cried Tom excitedly, ”every penny, sooner than he and race”
”But they behaved badly to you, sir”
”Perhaps I deserved some of it, uncle”
”Then you must have been a bad one, Tom”