so he found a short piece of dirty stick, and cracked and broke the crust all round, until it looked so nasty and untidy that anybody could see some one had been at it. But Sam was too busy to think of that. When he took off the crust, he found the tart was made of raspberries and currants. So this greedy boy went on eating and eating, not knowing when to stop; all at once, to his great fright, he found that he had nearly emptied the pie dish.

What should he do now? Mr. Lawley would see at once that some one had been eating the fruit; and besides, Sam's hands, for he had scooped the fruit out with his fingers; and his face, for he had smeared and grimed it all over with tart, would show at once what he had been doing. He suddenly remembered how Tom and Bob Jackson had been at the hampers; and the devil said to Sam, Tell a lie, and say you saw them eat the tart also.' Then something else said inside Sam's thoughts, 'No; even if you are a glutton and a thief, you need not be a liar.' But Sam would not listen to the last voice, but made up his mind to do as the devil taught him, and tell a lie. Then he thought next, 'As I have eaten up all the fruit, and it is sure to be found out, I may just as well eat the crust.'

So he ate the crust, or nearly all of it, and just as he was eating it he thought he heard a voice not far from him. He looked up, but saw nothing; then presently, to his great fright, he heard the loud laughter of Tom and Bob Jackson. Sam felt awfully frightened lest they should have seen him. He quickly packed up the hamper again, and made it look as much as he could as it had before, and then he went to the little stream near that he might wash himself clean. He had in his hurry spilt the raspberries and currants all over his jacket and his waistcoat, and it was very difficult to get out the stains. At last he was obliged to take his waistcoat off and wash the front of it in the water. Sam thought it would never come clean; and it did not. When he put it on quite wet, it was still stained, and looked very bad, and Sam was also looking very bad, for he felt very uncomfortable with having eaten a whole tart, and then having been scrubbing and rubbing at this waistcoat, stooping over the water. Just as he felt worst, he again heard that laughter of Tom and Bob Jackson close to him, and looking round he saw their two faces from out of a bush grinning at him and watching him. Oh, how miserable Sam felt at that moment! He wished the tart was

back in its dish, and he playing with the other children. And here were all the other children coming, and Mr. and Mrs. Lawley, and Mr. and Mrs. Dale. He could hear them shouting and calling to each other, This is the way; I am sure it is. Yes; I see the sparkle of the water, come along.'

'Oh, ain't I hungry!' said one.

'And don't I know where to put my dinner?' said another.

And Sam was miserable, and sick, and unhappy. He did not know what to do. Still Bob and Tom were laughing and jeering at him.

'Holla!' said Mr. Lawley as he saw them, some are here before us. Bob and Tom, what have you been doing all the morning?'

'Oh, we've had rare fun,' answered Bob. 'We've been all over the place, and only just found the dining-room.'

'And Sam, where have you been? Why did not you come with us, my little man ?'

Sam said nothing; indeed he felt too sick to speak. Raspberry and currant tart swam before his eyes, and it made him ill to think of the dinner.

How he had spoilt all his own pleasure, this greedy boy, who thought so much of eating!