Herbert turned in bed, and Abner Holden, fearing that he might wake up, and being on the whole, rather ashamed of his errand, and unwilling to be caught in it, went downstairs.

“Well, he didn’t make much,” thought our hero.  “It’s lucky I thought to put the money in my trunk.  If he only knew I had fifteen dollars, instead of five, he would be all the more anxious to get hold of it.”

“How did you sleep last night, Herbert?” inquired the housekeeper at breakfast.

“Very well, thank you, Mrs. Bickford.”

He was resolved not to drop a hint of what had happened, being curious to see if Mr. Holden would make any further attempts to obtain his money.  As his employer might possibly find a key that would unlock the trunk, he thought it prudent, during the day, to carry the money about with him.

He hardly knew whether to expect a visit from Abner the next night, but formed a little plan for frightening him if such a visit should take place.

It so happened that he had in his trunk a fish horn which had been given him by someone in Waverley.  This he took out of the trunk before retiring and hid it under his pillow.  It was about nine o’clock when he went to bed, but by considerable effort he succeeded in keeping awake for an hour or two.

About eleven o’clock, Abner Holden, before going to bed himself, decided to make one more attempt to obtain possession of Herbert’s money.  He reflected that possibly our hero had only put away his money by chance on the previous evening, and might have neglected to do so on the present occasion.  He desired to get possession of it before any part of it was spent, as, judging from what he knew of boys, it would not remain long unexpended.

Once more, therefore, he took his candle, and removing his thick-soled shoes, which might betray him by their sound, crept softly up the steep and narrow staircase.

But Herbert heard him, and moreover was warned of his visit by the light of the candle which he carried.  He closed his eyes, and awaited his coming in silent expectation.

Abner Holden looked towards the bed.  Herbert’s eyes were closed, and his breathing was deep and regular.

“He’s sound asleep,” thought Abner, with satisfaction.

He set down the candle on a chair beside the bed, and began to examine our hero’s pocketbook once more.  But it proved to be empty as before.  In the pocketbook, however, he found a key, the key, as he supposed, to Herbert’s trunk.  It was not, however, being only a key which Herbert had picked up one day in the street, and kept.  He had put it in his pocket with a view to mislead his employer.

That gentleman uttered a low exclamation of satisfaction when his fingers closed upon the key, never doubting for a moment that it would open the trunk.

Leaving the candle in its place, he rose from his recumbent position, threw the pants on the bed, and went round on the other side, to try the key.