After making their obedience, they walked up to the table; and Dr. Harris, with a look somewhat more stern than usual, said, "Henry, do you know a woman named Martha Watson, who lives near the common?"
"Yes, Sir," said George, "I know her: a very poor woman."
"I asked Henry," said Dr. Harris; "and I expect that he will answer me."
But poor Henry, from some cause or other, was, at the moment, unable to reply. George, therefore, seeing his friend at a loss, immediately gave the answer; and Henry, recovering his self-possession, now gave a direct answer to every question that the worthy master put to him, and proceeded to explain how they became possessed of so much money. "George and I," he said, "were one day walking through the town, when we met a gentleman on horseback, who had lately seen our parents in London. He told us that he was going to call upon us at the school; but as he had met us, that would do as well. He then gave us a new coin, which is called a sovereign; and after staying with us about a quarter of an hour, he shook hands with us, and rode off."
"And the same evening," added George, "we had the misfortune to run over little Jack Watson, and break his pitcher. We then thought it our duty to see him safe home, and to pay for the pitcher and milk. When we got to the cottage, we saw the poor man stretched on a wretched straw mattress, where he said he had been above a month; and the tear rolled down his cheek when he looked round the room, and saw five little children, who were all anxiously waiting for the milk which we had been so unfortunate as to knock out of little Jack's hand. Indeed, Sir," George continued, "we never before saw so much wretchedness; and Henry said, that as we had plenty to eat and drink, and pocket-money besides, we might as well get the new coin changed, and give them some of it, saying, he wished we had more. I agreed to give nearly all my share; and the next morning we went to the cottage, and gave most of the money to the poor people."
"But why did you not tell me or Mrs. Harris of this distressed cottager, and also that you had had so much money given to you, Henry?"
"Because, Sir, you had given strict orders that no boy should enter a place of sickness, for fear of bringing away a fever. We should not have gone there; but we had hurt poor Jack, and he was afraid to go home, after having lost all the milk. He said his mother would not believe him, if he told her that some one had broken the pitcher."
The plain and unassuming manner in which the boys told their tale, threw an unusual cheerfulness round the whole family. Dr. Harris felt himself satisfied with the account which they had given; while Mrs. Harris and her daughters were overjoyed to find that the boys could give an explanation so very creditable to their feelings. "It is not," said the lady, when the boys had left the room, "because my belief in their ability to give an explanation is confirmed, that I feel this satisfaction; but that they should have shown themselves so susceptible of the finest feelings of our nature. That they should have pitied and relieved the wants of their suffering fellow-creatures; and that, too, without ostentation or parade, convinces me, at once, that neither of them would be guilty of the charge made against Henry. And I sincerely wish that some light may be speedily thrown upon this unpleasant and mysterious affair, or I shall have great cause to fear the consequences with regard to his health."
Dr. Harris then left the table for the school-room, heartily concurring in every word that his amiable lady had uttered. Upon entering, he found the boys in deep consultation; for, immediately upon the return of Edward and George, they were questioned by their school-fellows as to the result of so long an interview. George, who would, from modesty, have readily refrained from stating a circumstance so creditable to himself, as well as to his friend, had he not feared a wrong construction would have been put upon his silence, immediately related the whole of what had passed in the parlour. The majority of the boys felt a little disappointed that nothing more conclusive had transpired; not perceiving, that boys who were capable of giving away their money in the manner that Henry and George had done, were unlikely to rob another of the little he possessed.