10 THE MISSING BOOK.

asking him if he could conceive who would have taken
the book from the library, or how it could have been
concealed on Maurice’s desk without his knowledge.
“T have had this in my possession,” he added, pro-
ducing the book, “and have examined its contents,
and it has made me the more determined to discover
who among my pupils could have such a low and de-
praved taste as to feel inclined to read it. I feel
ashamed to think that I have a boy in my school who
has a taste for such reading.”

Mr. Neville looked much disturbed while Mr.
' Harding was speaking, and after a few moments he
said :—

“Tt 1s most painful to me to be obliged to bring
disgrace and reproach upon one who has hitherto occu-
pied a high position in the school, in every way ; but
itis my duty to state what I know of this affair, that
suspicion may not rest where it is undeserved. I
intended to have made known to you, sir,” he con-
tinued, addressing Mr. Harding, “the circumstances
which occurred a fortnight since; but as I was very
much occupied at the time in preparations for my
journey, it escaped my mind, and I had quite forgotten
the affair until you mentioned what occurred here
yesterday.

“It was about a fortnight since, I was on my way
to the closet of Maurice Gray. I wished to speak
with him alone. As I approached the closet I heard