He steadied his voice, and answered coldly, "Well, Mrs. Arundel?"
"Well, my dear," she answered sadly, "'the wages of sin is death.' If you indulge in sin—God is not mocked—your wages will be death, eternal death."
The boy did not answer; but after a while said sullenly, "I did not know you had a sneak for a son."
"I did not know I had so noble a son. Do you not suppose, Frank, it would have been far easier to gloss it over? And even if he had repented of going to the theatre, to have avoided telling me?"
Frank was still silent.
"But now, my dear, I am not going to scold you; I had no such intention in calling you in. I want to speak to you as your own mother would have done, to help you if I can, to warn you of the danger, and to advise you to begin a new life. Come, dear, trust me."
She held out her hand, and the touching heavenly look on her face won the boy's heart, and he took her hand, saying huskily:
"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Arundel; I am ashamed of myself. I did not think what I was doing."
He sat down by her; but was very silent after this confession, and Mrs. Arundel only answered by pressing his hand kindly.
Presently she said gently, "Frank, if you had a garden, and you planted a seed which you were told was deadly, would you expect it to bear good fruit when it came up?"