Aymer laughed outright at that and assured him he knew how to make allowances for his well-known selfishness. But he took his advice and grappled with the difficulty next afternoon. Christopher was mending a rod, seated on the floor as usual. "We've not found that sovereign," said Caesar abruptly. Christopher looked up quickly, and then went on with his work after a brief "Oh!" "Did you take it, Christopher?" He asked the question quite slowly and looked at the boy, who got scarlet but went on tying his rod and appeared to be considering the question carefully, weighing it in his mind as it were, and when he answered, it was as deliberately as Aymer had questioned him. "No, sir." Aymer felt a sudden sense of relief, for lying had not been one of Christopher's faults. Then almost immediately he found himself wondering first, why the boy was not angry, and secondly, why it had taken so much thought to answer at all. However, he let the matter drop and told himself he was satisfied. Christopher finished mending his rod and then sat still considering deeply. Presently he took out a penny from his pocket and began rolling it on the thick carpet, and, as he had remarked to Caesar, it did not roll far, try as he would. At last he jumped up with a satisfied mien and went out. Caesar heard him whistling as he went down the passage and felt easier in his mind. Renata and the babies paid their usual visit after tea, and Miss Charlotte, after a brief conversation with her uncle, slid off the sofa and trotted away to the end window, where she appeared to be diligently playing hide-and-seek with herself. Suddenly her elders were startled with a prolonged cry of anguish and Renata flew to the rescue. "I tan't find it; naughty mousie taken my booful golden penny," sobbed Charlotte in her mother's arms. Renata could make nothing of her grief and persisted in thinking that she was hurt, and cuddling her. Aymer, listening attentively, said suddenly to Renata in his imperious way: "Give Charlotte to me, Renata, and take baby away." Renata obeyed meekly. People had a weak way of obeying Aymer on occasions, even against their will. "Now, Miss Charlotte," said Aymer, when the young lady was safely deposited by him, "tell me about it. What golden penny was it?" But Charlotte got suddenly red and stopped crying. "Were you playing with it yesterday in the window?" asked her uncle. Charlotte nodded. "Was it your penny or mine?" "Wasn't nobody's, only mummy's. You _said they_ were for her. Charlotte wasn't naughty." "Did you find it on the floor?" "No." "Where then?" "Dey was all in nice itty rows on the table. I only taken one pitty goldy penny. Mummy gives me goldy pennies always." "Sovereigns for playthings, Renata. That's very immoral." "No, only new halfpennies. Charlotte didn't know any better, Aymer." "And you played with it in the window there and left it there." "Is I naughty?" "Not very naughty--if you tell me. Did you leave it there?"