"I'm glad to hear it, my boy; it shows me you're not in the habit of uttering falsehoods, It's a grand thing to be truthful, for it takes a deal of courage to be that."
"Yes, indeed it does," Tim rejoined with a sigh.
"The path of truth is difficult to walk because it's steep at times," Mr. Shuttleworth said gravely, "but you know the old adage about putting a stout heart to a steep hill, don't you? And the path of falsehood seems easy travelling at first, because it's all down hill, and we don't see the obstacles that are sure to rise before us as we go on. Take my advice and don't turn from the uphill path in the future, my boy."
"I will try not to," Tim responded earnestly, much touched by his uncle's little sermon. "It is very good of you not to be harder on me, Uncle John. Did you not say you had heard from father?"
"Dear me, I had forgotten that. Yes, I heard from your father by to-night's post; he is going to have his holiday from the bank next month, and proposes to come and fetch you home. What do you think of his plan?"
"I call it a capital one," said Tim, his face brightening.
"Your father will spend his holidays—a fortnight—here. It will be a great pleasure to me to have his society. I shall be sorry to lose you, Tim; and I have been thinking—"
But what Mr. Shuttleworth had been thinking he did not inform his nephew then, for he broke off in the middle of his sentence, and a few minutes later he went downstairs.
That night, after Tim had gone to bed, Mr. Shuttleworth made his call next door. He saw Mr. and Mrs. Glanville, and repeated Tim's confession to them. Needless to say they were greatly surprised; but much to Mr. Shuttleworth's relief, Mrs. Glanville seemed to understand Tim in the matter.
"I see he has a very passionate temper," she said, "and I can quite believe he did not know it was a rabbit's hutch he was overturning, for I am sure he would not wilfully injure a living creature. If only he had owned the truth and not told Kitty that lie!"