Every thing went on very prosperously, for a week or two, in the
little study. Marco became more and more attentive to his studies, and
more and more interested in them. He was often getting into little
difficulties, it is true, and giving trouble to his uncle and aunt;
but then he generally seemed sorry afterward for the trouble which he
had thus occasioned, and he bore reproof, and such punishments as his
cousin thought it necessary to inflict, with so much good-humor, that
they all readily forgave him for his faults and misdemeanors.
One day, however, about a fortnight after he had commenced his
studies, he got led away, through the influence of a peculiar
temptation, into a rather serious act of transgression, which might
have been followed by very grave consequences. The circumstances were
these. He had commenced his studies as usual, after having received
his half-hour's instruction from Forester, and was in the midst of the
process of reducing the fraction 504/756 to its lowest terms, when he
happened to look out of the window and to see two boys climbing over
a garden fence belonging to one of the neighbor's houses, at a little
distance in the rear of his uncle's house. It was a very pleasant
morning, and Marco had the window open; so he could see the boys very
plainly. They stopped on the farther side of the fence which they had
got over, and though they were partially concealed by the fence, yet
Marco could plainly perceive that they were busily employed in doing
something there, though he could not imagine what. He wished very much
to go and see; but he knew that it would be in vain to make request
for permission, and so he contented himself with watching them.
Just at this moment his uncle opened the door which led into the
little study, and asked Forester if he would step into the office.
Forester did so; and then, after a few minutes, he returned, put up
his books, and said that he had got to go away, and that perhaps he
should not be back till noon. Marco had often been left alone at his
studies for a time, but never for a whole morning before. He knew that
he was to go on with his work just as if Forester had remained. So
Forester bade him good morning, and then went away.
Marco watched the boys, wondering more and more what they could be
doing. They kept stooping down to the ground, and moving about a
little, as if they were planting seeds. But as it was entirely the
wrong season for any such work, Marco concluded that they must be
hiding something in the ground. "Perhaps," said he to himself, "they
have been stealing some money, and are burying it. I wish I could go
and see."
If there had been a door leading directly from the study into the
yard, Marco would have left his studies and have gone out at once; but
as it was, he could not get out without going through the office where
his uncle was sitting.
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