“You would not be glad if you had seen all I saw yesterday.  You must have lent me your eyes, for when you spoke before of the evils, I thought you had picked up a Utopian notion, and were running a-muck with it, like an enthusiastic young clergyman.  For my own part I can’t say I ever came across anything offensive.  Of course I know where to find it, as one does wherever one goes, but there was no call to run after it; and as we were used to the affair, it was a mere matter of society—­”

“No, it could never be any temptation to you,” said Julius.

“No, nor to any other reasonable man; and I should add, though perhaps you might not allow it, that so long as a man keeps within his means, he has a right to enhance his excitement and amusement by bets.”

“Umph!  He has a right then to tempt others to their ruin, and create a class of speculators who live by gambling.”

“You need not go on trying to demolish me.  I was going to say that I had only thought of the demoralization, from the betting side; but yesterday it was as if you had fascinated my eyes to look behind the scenes.  I could not move a step without falling on something abominable.  Roughs, with every passion up to fever-pitch, ferocity barely kept down by fear of the police, gambling everywhere, innocent young things looking on at coarseness as part of the humour of the day, foul language, swarms of vagabond creatures, whose trade is to minister to the license of such occasions.  I declare that your wife was the only being I saw display a spark of any sentiment human nature need not blush for!”

“Nay, Raymond, I begin to wonder whose is the exaggerated feeling now.”

“You were not there,” was the answer; and they were here interrupted by crossing the path of the policeman, evidently full of an official communication.

“I did not expect to see you so early, sir,” he said.  “I was coming to the Hall to report to you after I had been in to the superintendent.”

“What is it?”

“There has been a burglary at Mrs. Hornblower’s, sir.  If you please, sir,” to Julius, “when is the Reverend Mr. Bowater expected home?”

“Not before Monday.  Is anything of his taken?”

“Yes, sir.  A glass case has been broken open, and a silver cup and oar, prizes for sports at college, I believe, have been abstracted.  Also the money from the till below; and I am sorry to say, young Hornblower is absconded, and suspicion lies heavy on him.  They do say the young man staked heavily on that mare of Captain Duncombe’s.”

“You had better go on to the superintendent now,” said Raymond.  “You can come to me for a summons if you can find any traces.”

Poor Mrs. Hornblower, what horror for her! and poor Herbert too who would acutely feel this ingratitude.  The blackness of it was beyond what Julius thought probable in the lad, and the discussion of it occupied the brothers till they reached the Reynolds colony, where they were received by the daughter-in-law, a much more civilized person than old Betty.