40 THE FAITHFUL NURSE.

to love her; but she is so good, she will never remember
it against you. I will forgive you in her name, and
we will go together, and explain all to her, and all will
be forgiven and forgotten ; so now, do oblige me by
helping to eat up the cake and fruit, or I shall not
enjoy my slice at all.”

“Well, Maurice,” said Bob, “you always make us
do whatever you please; so we will accept our share,
though we do not at all deserve it.”

“You were a bold fellow, Maurice,” said Tom Bailey,
“to take this basket to Mr. Harding.”

“Why, what else could I have done with it?” said

Maurice. “I had accepted it, unconscious that I was
doing what was forbidden. You do not suppose I .
_ would hide it, and deceive Mr. Harding? That would,
indeed, have been hard for me to do; but there was
nothing hard in telling him that I had unintentionally
broken his rules. I am sure, had I concealed it, I
could never have eaten any of it. Besides, I should
have done wrong, and offended God and my own con-
science.” |

“You are a strange fellow, Maurice,” said Frank
Henley; “but I like your way of dealing. I do not
believe another boy in school would have done so; but
you have proved that it is the best way.”

“The right way is always the best way,” said
Maurice, “and the only way in which we ought to
act,”