"Who took it away?"
"I am not at liberty to tell you, Aunt Elizabeth."
Miss Nelson gazed anxiously into Basil's face. She had put the broken bits of ivory on the table. Now she tenderly laid the soft tissue-paper over them.
"You have brought me back the miniature, Basil," she said.
"I have," said Basil bluntly, "and that's about all. I don't know how it was broken, and what else I know I am not going to tell. I'm awfully sorry about the whole thing, but I thought you would rather have the miniature back as it is, than not get it at all, Miss Nelson."
"That is true," said Miss Nelson.
Basil was turning to leave the room, but Miss Wilton suddenly stepped before him to the door, and shut it.
"You shan't leave, sir, until you tell everything!" she said. "I know what mischievous creatures boys are. You took that miniature away out of wanton mischief; you fiddled with it, and broke it, and now you are afraid to confess. But I'll have no funking the truth. Tell what you have done, this minute, you bad boy!"
"I found the miniature, and I've returned it to Miss Nelson," replied Basil, in a quiet, still voice, which kept under all the anger which made his dark eyes glow.
"Yes, and you stole it in the first instance, and then broke it. Out with the truth; no half-measures with me," retorted Miss Wilton.