Languages & literature > Aurus clavus, or, The adventures of a gold trinket, supposed to have been written by itself

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ed and looked in the face of the guilty being,
but he received no answer—Thomas was speech¬
less. “ Here is another note for you, Sir,”
said the philosopher, handing one to the mer¬
chant, “ and truly sorry am I at such an un¬
expected, such an unpleasant occurrence. As
for you, young man, you may retire, I shall
ring when I want you.” Nothing more was
said on the subject for several hours. The
philosopher went out to dine, but returned at
an early hour in the evening; when having
summoned my master, he thus addressed him :
“ Thomas, the occurrence of this day has
greatly vexed my mind; you have been in my
service for the long period of seven years. In
you I have reposed an unlimited confidence—a
confidence which you have most shamefully
abused. Were I assured that you had never
before been guilty of a breach of trust, I might
have overlooked this instance of moral delin¬
quency, hut that I cannot ascertain. I will not,
however, indulge in hard expressions, for that
will serve no good purpose, neither will I at¬
tempt to punish you by delivering you over to
the civil law. Under all circumstances, however,
you can no longer be my servant, and I shall
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