through. And he would probably have succeeded but for George; as
Ralph, in his well-meant but very mistaken kindness for Oscar, would
not have been very likely to expose him. But the lie was nailed, and
Oscar's bold and wicked push had only placed him in a far worse
position than he occupied before. His father, for a moment, could
scarcely believe his ears; but this feeling of astonishment soon gave
way to a frown, before which Oscar cowered like a sheep before a lion.
Mr. Preston was a man of strong passions, but of few words. Having set
forth briefly but in vivid colors the aggravated nature of Oscar's
three-fold offence,--his attack upon Willie, his disobedience when
ordered to bed, and the falsehood with which he attempted to cover up
his disobedience,--he proceeded to inflict summary and severe
chastisement upon the offender. It was very rarely that he resorted to
this means of discipline, but this he deemed a case where it was
imperatively demanded.

Silence reigned in the boys' chamber the rest of the night. Oscar was
too sullen to speak; Ralph silently pitied his brother, not less for
the sins into which he had fallen than for the pain he had suffered;
and George was too much taken up with thinking about the probable
after-clap of this storm, to notice anything else.

Oscar was fond of his bed, and was usually the last one of the family
to rise, especially in cool weather. On the morning after the
occurrences above related, he laid abed later than usual even with him.
His father had gone to the store, and the children were out-doors at
play, before he made his appearance at the breakfast-table. He sat
down to the deserted table, and was helping himself to the cold
remnants of the meal, when his mother entered the room. Oscar noticed
that she looked unusually sad and dejected. After sitting in silence a