"And I—I will call you 'Mother,'" Theodore continued. "I don't think she will mind—my real mother, I mean."
"No, no. I can never quite make up to you for her loss, my dear, but I will do my best, so that some day I may be able to say to her, 'I did what I could to take your place.'"
This idea pleased Theodore. He remained very quiet for some minutes, then he said, tremulously, "Do you know what I thought when Jack and I were wandering about the moor last night? It was how you would hate me if anything happened to Jack, and—and I knew I hadn't always been nice to you, and I asked God to take care of Jack before me, because I had made him come. Then I got caught in that dreadful gin, and when I woke up in the caravan I couldn't think what had become of Jack, and Seth didn't know, or Moses, or Miriam, or anyone. Oh, you can't think how glad I felt when father came and told me Jack was all right. Nothing seemed to matter after that. I think it was noble of Jack not to tell how I made him go, and when I had been so nasty to him too! I called him a coward, and said all sorts of disagreeable things."
Theodore's face was full of excitement. His stepmother looked at him a trifle anxiously. Rising to her feet she again drew a chair to the side of the sofa, and, seating herself thereon, talked to him in a soothing tone on different subjects till he grew more composed.
Presently Jane came to see how her little master was, but, finding him deep in conversation with his stepmother, would have retired without a word if Mrs. Barton had not stopped her.
"Jane," she said in her pleasant voice, "his father and I have forgiven him the anxiety and trouble he caused us, and we hope you will do the same."
"Yes, please, do, Jane," Theodore said, earnestly. "I am very, very sorry. I suppose you found out I had taken the matches from your dressing-table? I really don't know what we should have done without them."
"Oh, that's what you were up to, was it?" Jane cried. "I found the matches gone; I might have guessed you had them. Well, Master Theodore, if you want my forgiveness you have it, though I do think you treated me badly."
When Jack and his stepfather returned they found Theodore cheerful and happy, with Mrs. Barton seated at his side, looking bright and animated.
"Back already!" Theodore exclaimed in surprise.