As he spoke he approached Philip, to tie him anew.
“Oh, please don’t tie me again, Mr. Temple!” pleaded the terrified boy. “Indeed, I didn’t carry off your tin box. I didn’t know you had any.”
“Perhaps the box dug itself up and walked off,” said Temple, with withering sarcasm. “You must think I am a fool. Somebody dug it up, and knows where it is now.”
“It wasn’t me.”
“At any rate, it won’t do any harm to tie you up until I find out more about it.”
Temple picked up the rope which Harry had thrown on the floor, and was about to repeat his work, when Philip exclaimed, partly from the instinct of self-preservation, partly to gratify his mean spite against Harry:
“I shouldn’t wonder if Harry Gilbert carried it off himself. He was prowling about the wood yesterday.”
Harry could hardly believe his ears. This boy who accused him was the one he had just released from his bonds.
He looked at Philip, his face expressing the contempt he felt.
“I suppose this is to pay me for untying you?” he said.