She said little to her father, for it distressed him to see her grieved; he desired her not to dwell on the subject, caressed her, called her his comfort and support, and did all he could to console her, but it was beyond his power; her sisters, by listening to her, only made her worse.

"Dear, dear papa," she exclaimed, "how kind he is! But he can never depend upon me again--I have been the ruin of my poor little Tom." "Well," said Richard quietly, "I can't see why you should put yourself into such a state about it." This took Margaret by surprise.

"Have not I done very wrong, and perhaps hurt Tom for life ?" "I hope not," said Richard.

"You and I made a mistake, but it does not follow that Tom would have kept out of this scrape, if we had told my father our notion." "It would not have been on my conscience," said Margaret--"he would not have sent him to school." "I don't know that," said Richard.

"At any rate we meant to do right, and only made a mistake.