“No, uncle; it was very stupid of me, I suppose.”
“Very foolish to be guilty of such an escapade.”
“Foolish!” said Tom, growing more damped than before; “but he was stealing the ironwork.”
“Yes, evidently carrying it off; but it was old iron.”
“But it was just as bad to steal old iron as new, uncle,” said Tom.
“Ahem! yes, of course, my boy; but you must not be so venturesome. I mean that it was not worth while for you to risk being stricken down for the sake of saving some rubbish. Thieves are reckless when caught.”
“I wasn’t thinking of saving the old iron, uncle; I wanted to see who it was, so as to be able to tell you. I didn’t think of being knocked down.”
“Well, perhaps it was all a mistake, Tom,” said Uncle Richard, “for it was in the dark.”
“Yes, uncle, but I feel sure that some one was helping himself to the pieces of iron.”
“Look in the morning, my boy. Get to bed now, and never do such a thing as that again. Good-night.”