With a heavy heart he began to retrace his steps, sure of detection when he reached home, and of punishment.

He did not, however, dread the punishment so much as the just displeasure which his cousin would manifest, and the evidence of the pain which he knew his cousin would suffer, when he came to learn how his pupil had betrayed the confidence which had been reposed in him.

Before he set out for home, however, he took off such of his clothes as were most wet, and wrung out the water as well as he could, and then put them on again.
When he drew near to the house, he expected to see his uncle still at work, but he was not there.

Marco reconnoitered the place carefully, and then went into the office.

His uncle was not in the office.