Marco listened to this minute account of his adventures with eager interest, wondering how his cousin could have obtained so early and such complete information.  After Forester had concluded, he paused a moment and breathed a long sigh.  Then he laid his head down upon his pillow again, saying,

“Well, I don’t see how you found it out; and I am sorry that you did, for I meant to have told you all about it myself.”

Marco seemed really disappointed at having lost the opportunity to make his full confession, but Forester told him that he considered that he had made full confession.  “You made up your mind to do it,” said he, “and you did begin, and it was the beginning which required all the effort.  I only refrained from asking you about the details, from a wish to show you that I really knew all about it.”

“I don’t see how you found it out,” said Marco.  “I suppose it must have been that the boys told you.”

“No,” replied Forester; “I have not seen either of the boys, or heard any thing from them, directly or indirectly.”

“Then you must have watched me yourself,” said Marco, “instead of going away.”

“Do you think,” said Forester, “that I would pretend that I was going away, and then just go out a little way and lie in wait to watch you?

“Why, no,”—­said Marco,—­“I don’t really suppose that you would.”

“No,” said Forester, “I really went away nut of town.  I went to visit a sick man and help him make his will, and I did not return until just before you saw me.”

“Then I don’t see how you knew,” said Marco.

“It is of very little consequence to you to know that,” said Forester, “but I want to ask you a little more about the affair.  Are you willing to answer any question that I may ask?”

Marco said that he was, and Forester asked him about the circumstances which led him to go away.  Marco explained to him how he saw the boys, and what he thought that they were doing, and what induced him to go and see them, and how he was prevented from coming back as he had intended.  There was an air of openness and honesty in the manner in which Marco related these facts, which convinced Forester that he was telling the truth.

Forester was glad to find that it was not a deliberate and preconcerted plan, between Marco and the other boys, to go off on this expedition; for, bad as it was for Marco to allow himself to be drawn away by such temptations, it would have been worse, or rather it would have indicated a worse state of character, if he had deliberately planned such a truancy.