“Then you was a fool. Why, you might have taken the prize, if you hadn’t done it.”
“But I did something worse than that.”
“What was it?”
“I blotted your book the other day, so I might make sure of the prize.”
“You mean——” but the hasty reply was instantly checked by a glance at the sorrowful face before him, and Ronald stood silent and ashamed.
“I’m sorry for it, and I hope you will forgive me,” added Lewis, the tears gathering in his eyes. “I told the teacher all about it, and she has forgiven me.”
“O yes, I’ll forgive you, too, seeing you have owned up of your own accord.”
“I’ve suffered enough for it to be forgiven, at any rate.”
“You blotted your book so as to be even with me? Well, that was doing the handsome thing, any way. You might have kept dark, and got the prize, just as easy as not. I never supposed any one blotted my book on purpose; I thought it was an accident.”
Lewis repeated his expressions of sorrow for his offence, and received renewed assurances of forgiveness. He then returned home with a lighter heart than he had known for many a day.