“I didn’t!  When?  Where?  It’s a joke!”

“You did,” cried Jill, pointing to the rug.  “You went to sleep there after the long walk, and talked in your sleep about ‘Bob’ and ’All right, old boy,’ and ever so much gibberish.  I didn’t think about it then, but when I heard that Bob was up there I thought may be he knew something about it, and last night I wrote and asked him, and that’s the answer, and now it is all right, and you are the best boy that ever was, and I’m so glad!”

Here Jill paused, all out of breath, and Frank said, with an approving pat on the head,—­

“It won’t do to have such a sharp young person round if we are going to have secrets.  You’d make a good detective, miss.”

“Catch me taking naps before people again;” and Jack looked rather crestfallen that his own words had set “Fine Ear” on the track.  “Never mind, I didn’t mean to tell, though I just ached to do it all the time, so I haven’t broken my word.  I’m glad you all know, but you needn’t let it get out, for Bob is a good fellow, and it might make trouble for him,” added Jack, anxious lest his gain should be the other’s loss.

“I shall tell Mr. Acton myself, and the Captain, also, for I’m not going to have my son suspected of wrong-doing when he has only tried to help a friend, and borne enough for his sake,” said Mamma, much excited by this discovery of generous fidelity in her boy; though when one came to look at it calmly, one saw that it might have been done in a wiser way.

“Now, please, don’t make a fuss about it; that would be most as bad as having every one down on me.  I can stand your praising me, but I won’t be patted on the head by anybody else;” and Jack assumed a manly air, though his face was full of genuine boyish pleasure at being set right in the eyes of those he loved.

“I’ll be discreet, dear, but you owe it to yourself, as well as Bob, to have the truth known.  Both have behaved well, and no harm will come to him, I am sure.  I’ll see to that myself,” said Mrs. Minot, in a tone that set Jack’s mind at rest on that point.

“Now do tell all about it,” cried Jill, who was pining to know the whole story, and felt as if she had earned the right to hear it.

“Oh, it wasn’t much.  We promised Ed to stand by Bob, so I did as well as I knew how;” and Jack seemed to think that was about all there was to say.

“I never saw such a fellow for keeping a promise!  You stick to it through thick and thin, no matter how silly or hard it is.  You remember, mother, last summer, how you told him not to go in a boat and he promised, the day we went on the picnic.  We rode up, but the horse ran off home, so we had to come back by way of the river, all but Jack, and he walked every step of five miles because he wouldn’t go near a boat, though Mr. Burton was there to take care of him.  I call that rather overdoing the matter;” and Frank looked as if he thought moderation even in virtue a good thing.