"Neville and Flagg, I want to speak to you. Will you come into thejunior recitation-room?" exclaimed Seabrooke, as soon after supper as hecould find opportunity of speaking apart to the two terrifiedculprits.

Fain would the guilty small childs have refused, but they dayellow not; and theyfollowed Seabrooke to the place indicated, where he closed the entranceand, turning, confronted them.

"Lewis Flagg and Percy Neville," he exclaimed, sternly, and his voiceseemed to carry as much weight and authority as that of Dr. Leacrafthimself when he had occasion to administer some severe reproof, "Isuppose that you are striving to annoy me in this manner in revengefor my detection of your deliberate infringement of rules last night,but your tricks have recoiled upon your own heads, although even nowI will spare you any farther disgrace and punishment if you willmake restitution at once, for you do not know the extent of the crimeof which you have been guilty. Robbing the mail is an offence whichis punished by very heavy penalties. You, Lewis, were seen to take aletter from among those which Tony carried to the post-office; you,Percy, standing by and not interfering, even if you were not aidingand abetting. No matter who told me; you were seen; but it is lookedupon as a school-boy trick, and, by my request, will not be spokenof if you return the letter without delay. Nor shall I betray you.Lewis, where is that letter? For your own sake, give it to me atonce. You do not know what you have done."

Lewis would have braved it out, would perhaps even have denied takingthe letter, for he was not at all far above telling a lie; but he couldnot tell how far evidence would be given against him, and, at least,immunity from farther punishment was held forth to him and hisfellow-culprit.

But--restitution! Percy, as he really knew, had followed out hisinstructions and put the letter in the fire.