"Tony always was honest," replied Captain Sedley.
"Honest! He would not steal the value of a pin from anybody."
"But it seems very strange that the wallet should have been found in his pocket."
"Tim Bunker put it there, you may depend upon it."
"Very likely; but, Mrs. Weston, you know that all these things must be proved. As the affair stands now, I am afraid the testimony against him, notwithstanding his good character, will be quite sufficient to convict him."
"O Captain Sedley, I know he is innocent!" exclaimed the poor widow, her eyes filling with tears again.
"But it must be proved, you see. The finding of the wallet upon him, and the testimony of Tim Bunker that he saw him putting something in his pocket, in the very place where the lost property was alleged to have been left, will leave scarcely a doubt in the minds of judge and jury."
Captain Sedley shook his head. Though he had the fullest confidence in Tony's innocence, he desired to give his mother a perfect understanding of the difficulties of the case. After all, there was a remote possibility that poor Tony had been led to take the wallet; and if such should finally prove to be the fact, it was better for the widow to be prepared for the worst.
"I do not think Tony is guilty, Mrs. Weston; but you must consider that appearances are very strong against him," said he.
"I know it, sir. Poor Tony! must he spend the night in jail? Is there no way to get him out?" sobbed the widow.
"He shall not want for a friend, Mrs. Weston. Farmer Whipple must have returned by this time, and I will go up and see him. But I do not think we can get him out to-day."
"Thank you, sir; you are very good. If I could only see him, and tell him that I feel sure he is innocent, the cold walls would seem less dreary to him. I know what the poor fellow is thinking about."
Mrs. Weston cried like a child when she thought of her darling boy shut up within the narrow walls of a prison cell.
"He will be thinking of his home," continued she. "He will think of me."
"That he has, sir. Tony steal? No, sir. He thinks too much of his mother and his home to do such a thing. But don't you suppose I could see him?"
"I will see him myself; won't that do as well?"