ILL-GOTTEN PLEASURE NO ENJOYMENT. 123

 Oh, how often during that ride had the wretched
boy longed that he had not acted so basely!
 It seemed to him as he trotted along by his
father's gig that he had never felt more uncomfortable
or unhappy.
 When the thought first crossed his mind that he
would intercept the pony and bribe the stable-boy,
he had fancied that the delights of a ride would make
up for any stings of conscience or loss of self-respect
that he might endure, but during the ride, and, indeed,
almost as soon as he had vaulted into the saddle, he
felt how mistaken and vain such a notion was! This
is always the way we feel when we have procured an
ill-gotten pleasure; but Adolphus had no idea how
unpleasant his sensations would be until he began to
experience them!
 As they walked across the close-cropt lawn to
join the other boys, Adolphus began to mutter some
sort of vindication or excuse for his conduct.
 I hope you didn't mind my having the pony ? The
stable-boy said, that i's, he seemed to think, that you
didn't care to ride to-day."
 But even as he spoke, he reddened up to the roots
of his hair at the number of lies he was telling !
Ever since he had committed that mean act it seemed
as though he had to plunge himself from one set of
falsehoods into another; for he had had to invent a