His uncle had not made up his mind what to do with Tom, but as they walked through the warehouse, and he saw how his former companions now looked at him, he felt sure that Mr. Phillips was right, and that it would be impossible for him to stay any longer in London.
In spite of it being so early, his uncle took him home, and when he got there he said to him, "Now go and put your things together, my boy, we shall have to start early in the morning; it is Christmas day. A sorry Christmas you have made it for all of us."
"Where, where are we going?" asked Tom, with a half-scared look in his face.
"Home to Heatherdene, of course; there is no other place for you."
"Oh, uncle, pray forgive me, and give me another chance, and I will never do such a thing again," pleaded Tom.
"I hope not indeed, my lad. I trust that this will be a lesson you will never forget; but you must learn as others have had to do, that though some things may be repented of, no amount of repentance will ever do away with the evil they bring with them, and leave behind them. You must go to Heatherdene and see if you can live down this wrong-doing by learning to be as good a blacksmith as your father, for London and its temptations is no place for you."
In vain Tom wept and pleaded and promised. The time for promises had gone by, and though his uncle really felt sorry for the lad, and still more for his parents, yet he felt that it would never do for him to stay longer, and in this view of the matter his wife fully concurred.
So on Christmas afternoon Tom and his uncle arrived at the little village, to the surprise and consternation of everybody who saw them, for one look at Tom's miserable face was enough to convince them that something had gone wrong.
But who can describe the bitter grief of his mother when she heard the miserable tale! Her Tom, her darling, the one she had been so proud of, and who she felt sure would do such great things if he only had the chance—for him to be little better than a thief! Oh, it was terrible.
Tom never knew before how much his mother loved him, or how she had built her hopes on his future, until he saw her grief over his disgraceful return after three months' stay in London; and this grief he is never likely to forget.