"Somewhere about half after six, sir: it was half moonlight and half twilight. I remember what a bright clear morning it was for November."
"Why, at that hour both Lewis and Arkell must have been in their beds, asleep, at my house."
"Law, sir, who can answer for schoolboys, especially them big college gents? When they ought to be a-bed, they're up; and when they ought to be up, they're a-bed. They was both at my house that morning."
Mr. Wilberforce could not make much of the tale, except that two of his boarders were out when he had deemed them safe in bed; and he left the church. It was dusk then. As he was striding along, in an irascible mood, he met Henry Arkell. He touched his cap to the master, and was passing on.
"Not so fast, Mr. Arkell. I want a word with you."
Arkell stopped and stood before Mr. Wilberforce, his truthful eye and open countenance raised fearlessly.
"I gave you credit for behaving honourably, and as a gentleman ought, during the time you were residing in my house, but I find I was deceived. Who gave you leave, pray, to sneak out of it at early morning, when everybody else was in bed?"
"I never did, sir," replied Henry.
"Take care, Arkell. If there's one fault I punish more than another, it is a falsehood; and that you know. I say that you did sneak out of my house at untoward and improper hours."
"Indeed, sir, I never did," he replied with respectful earnestness.