"Ah!" he murmured. "What a thing it is to have a little knowledge and to know how to take advantage of it!"
Then he, too, retired to bed and slept well, and rose next morning to see his twin-brother off, bidding him be of good cheer and prophesying that he should return a free man. Left alone, he chuckled.
Matthew allowed some days to elapse before he went into Cornborough. Mrs. Walkinshaw looked somewhat surprised to see him, though of late he had taken to visiting the house occasionally. As a privileged visitor he passed into her private parlour.
"And pray what's become of Thomas these days?" she inquired, when Matthew was comfortably placed in the cosiest chair.
Matthew shook his head. His manner was mysterious.
"Don't ask me, ma'am," he said, sorrowfully. "It's a painful subject. Of course, however, between you and me and the post, as the saying is, Thomas has gone to Scarborough Spaw, ma'am."
"To Scarborough!" exclaimed Mrs. Walkinshaw. "What for?"
Matthew sighed and then gave her an expressive look.
"He's very fond of a bit of gay doings, is Thomas, ma'am," he said. "Likes to shake a loose leg, now and then, you understand. It gets a bit dull at our place in time. But I'm all for home, myself."
Mrs. Walkinshaw, who had listened to this with eyes which grew wider and wider, flung down her fancy sewing in a pet.