"He might think you weren't keeping good company!" Bill Coysh broke in with a harsh laugh, as he turned away and motioned to the dog to follow him. The intelligent brute, who had been trained to understand and obey the slightest sign, fell behind his master, close to his heels, and silently followed him out of sight.
Lionel went back to the Manor House much elated; and not until he was informed that the driving party had returned, and his mother desired to see him in her own room, did a damper fall upon his spirits.
He found his mother much distressed by the tale she had heard from Susan Morecombe.
"Oh, Lionel, how could you have acted in such a dishonourable way!" she cried reproachfully. "What were you going to do with the powder and shot?" Then, as he remained silent, she continued: "I am thankful Susan found you out! You are not thinking of firing off that old blunderbuss, are you? If that was your idea, I forbid you to do it! You know how nervous I am of fire-arms!"
"I put back what I took," Lionel said sulkily.
"So Susan said! Are you not ashamed of your conduct? I believe if your grandfather knew about it, he would give you a sound thrashing! I wonder how it is you have so little sense of honour!"
Poor Mrs. Compton, who had been in the habit of scolding her children so frequently that they had grown to take little notice of her words, and had never punished them in her life, looked at her son with reproachful eyes. She was realising how little influence she had over him, and wondering why it was.
"I am very sorry, mother," he said, and he spoke the truth as far as being sorry for her evident distress went, for he was really fond of her, though she was too indulgent with him to command his obedience. "I promise never to pry into anything belonging to grandfather again!"
She gave a sigh of relief, for far stronger than her sorrow for her son's conduct was her fear of her father's anger. It never crossed her mind that Lionel would try to obtain the articles he had endeavoured in vain to get from the bureau in the study from another source; so after a few more reproaches, to which he listened without making a remark, she sent him away with his offence condoned as far as she was concerned.