quietly:--

"Now what was the trouble, David?"

"I'll not be the one to tell it, sir," I said, and trembled at my
temerity.

The parson looked at me queerly.

"Then you are in the right of it," he said. "It is as I thought; I'll
not expect Nicholas to tell me."

"I will tell you, sir," said Nicholas. "He was in the house with my
father when--when he ran away. And I said that if he ever spoke of it to
any one, I would kill him."

For a while the clergyman was silent, gazing with a strange tenderness at
the lad, whose face was averted.

"And you, David?" he said presently.

"I--I never mean to tell, sir. But I was not to be frightened."

"Quite right, my lad," said the clergyman, so kindly that it sent a
strange thrill through me. Nicholas looked up quickly.

"You won't tell?" he said.

"No," I said.