The judge and Ellen had already conjectured clearly enough, and Boyne did not fear them.  But he looked at his younger sister as he sulkily answered, “I am not going to tell you before Lottie.”

“Come in here, then,” said his mother, and she led him into the next room and closed the door.  She quickly returned without him.  “Yes,” she began, “it’s just as I supposed; it was that worthless fellow who put him up to it.  Of course, it began with those fool books he’s been reading, and the notions that Miss Rasmith put into his head.  But he never would have done anything if it hadn’t been for Mr. Trannel.”

Lottie had listened in silent scorn to the whole proceedings up to this point, and had refused a part in the general recognition of Breckon as a special providence.  Now she flashed out with a terrible volubility:  “What did I tell you?  What else could you expect of a Cook’s tourist?  And mom—­mother wanted to make me go with you, after I told her what he was!  Well, if I had have gone, I’ll bet I could have kept him from playing his tricks.  I’ll bet he wouldn’t have taken any liberties, with me along.  I’ll bet if he had, it wouldn’t have been Boyne that got arrested.  I’ll bet he wouldn’t have got off so easily with the magistrate, either!  But I suppose you’ll all let him come bowing and smiling round in the morning, like butter wouldn’t melt in your mouths.  That seems to be the Kenton way.  Anybody can pull our noses, or get us arrested that wants to, and we never squeak.”  She went on a long time to this purpose, Mrs. Kenton listening with an air almost of conviction, and Ellen patiently bearing it as a right that Lottie had in a matter where she had been otherwise ignored.

The judge broke out, not upon Lottie, but upon his wife.  “Good heavens, Sarah, can’t you make the child hush?”

Lottie answered for her mother, with a crash of nerves and a gush of furious tears:  “Oh, I’ve got to hush, I suppose.  It’s always the way when I’m trying to keep up the dignity of the family.  I suppose it will be cabled to America, and by tomorrow it will be all over Tuskingum how Boyne was made a fool of and got arrested.  But I bet there’s one person in Tuskingum that won’t have any remarks to make, and that’s Bittridge.  Not, as long as Dick’s there he won’t.”

“Lottie!” cried her mother, and her father started towards her, while Ellen still sat patiently quiet.

“Oh, well!” Lottie submitted.  “But if Dick was here I know this Trannel wouldn’t get off so smoothly.  Dick would give him a worse cowhiding than he did Bittridge.”

Half the last word was lost in the bang of the door which Lottie slammed behind her, leaving her father and mother to a silence which Ellen did not offer to break.  The judge had no heart to speak, in his dismay, and it was Mrs. Kenton who took the word.

“Ellen,” she began, with compassionate gentleness, “we tried to keep it from you.  We knew how you would feel.  But now we have got to tell you.  Dick did cowhide him when he got back to Tuskingum.  Lottie wrote out to Dick about it, how Mr. Bittridge had behaved in New York.  Your father and I didn’t approve of it, and Dick didn’t afterwards; but, yes, he did do it.”