His breakfast finished, Jack got up and proceeded to dress. He felt very tired, but otherwise perfectly well. A long while he knelt in prayer, for he had so much to thank God for this morning, and he did not forget to humbly ask pardon for his wrong-doing. He realised quite well that he ought not to have allowed Theodore to influence him to visit the Hermit's Cave without Mr. and Mrs. Barton's knowledge; but his fear of being thought a coward had made him fall in with his stepbrother's plans. He had known it was wrong—there lay the sin.
When Jack went downstairs he found a messenger had just arrived to say that Mr. Barton and Theodore were coming; and presently a caravan was seen entering the farmyard, drawn by a large grey horse, followed by a group of dark, curly-haired gipsy children. Moses Stanley walked at the horse's head, whilst his wife rode in front of the caravan.
Neither Mr. Barton nor Theodore were visible until the caravan came to a full stop in front of the door, and Moses let down the steps, when the former appeared and smiled as he caught sight of his wife, who with Jack and the rest of the household had come into the yard.
"How is Theodore?" Mrs. Barton asked, whilst Jane tried to peer into the caravan.
"Not very bright, of course, Mary; but better than I expected he would have been this morning," was the response.
"Well, Jack, are you all right?"
"Oh, yes, thank you, father!" the little boy answered.
"That's well. Stand back a minute, Jane. You shall see Theodore in a minute."
Even as Mr. Barton spoke, Theodore appeared at his side, looking very white and crestfallen.
Jane caught him in her arms, and bore him triumphantly into the house, covering his face with kisses; which treatment secretly irritated him greatly, for he felt his position anything but dignified for a boy of his age.