"Theodore is safe, my darling," Mrs. Barton said, as she kissed her little son. "I will tell you where he is, and all I know about him, whilst you eat your breakfast."
"And mind you eat all you can, Master Jack," Jane told him, "for you are looking but poorly this morning. But there!" with an indignant sniff, "'tis no wonder, I'm sure! I hope all that happened to you yesterday will be a wholesome lesson to you, and Master Theodore too."
Now that her mind was at rest concerning the safety of her little master, Jane felt it would be a great relief to her feelings to give the boys both a good scolding; and she had the satisfaction of seeing a guilty flush rise to Jack's pale face before she left the room.
Alone with his mother, he soon learnt what had befallen his stepbrother after he had left him; for the blacksmith, true to his promise, had called at the farm ere he had returned to his home, and had told all he knew concerning Theodore. It was now nine o'clock, and further news was expected every minute; for Mrs. Barton rightly guessed that her husband would bring Theodore back to the farm as soon as possible.
At first Jack's mind had room for only one thought—his stepbrother's safety. But as his mother talked to him, he saw that her eyes were full of reproach, and his conscience told him the cause.
"Jack," she said at length, "you knew you and Theodore were acting wrongly yesterday, did you not?"
"Yes," he acknowledged, hanging his head.
"It was very naughty of you, and very unkind to all of us!"
"We meant to be home before dark," Jack began, then added quickly, "oh, mother, I knew all the time you wouldn't have let us go alone if you'd known!"
"And you purposely kept Jane in the dark, too?"