And now he was fighting for the power of speech--fighting hot eyes and twitching lips for his own manhood--and for the little impudent face that would fill with fear if he lost. But he won. "Of course I'm not angry; but"--for he must know for certain--"what's your name?" "Georgie." "That's not all." "Georgie Musk." Carlton filled his lungs. "And who sent you here, Georgie?" "Nobody di'n't." "Then how have you come?" "By my own self, course." "What! all the way from the Flint House? That's where you live, isn't it?" Carlton put the second question with sudden misgiving. The name was not unique in that country; he might be mistaken after all. And already--in these few moments--he could not bear the idea of being thus mistaken in this sturdy, friendly, independent boy. "Yes, that's where," said Georgie, nodding. "Then what can have brought him here!" "Well, you see," said Georgie, confidentially, "my lady taked me for a walk----" "Your lady?" "And I wunned away." "But who do you mean by your lady?" "My lady," said Georgie, turning dense. "Your governess?" guessed Carlton. "Oh, my governess, my governess!" cried Georgie, roaring with laughter because the word was new to him, but made a splendid expletive: "oh, my governess, gwacious me!" "Well, whoever it is," muttered Carlton, "she oughtn't to have lost you; and you stay with me until she finds you." "That's good," said Georgie, with conviction. "I liker stay wif you." Carlton caught the child up suddenly, and swung him shoulder-high. What a laugh he had! And what a firm boy, so heavy and straight and strong! Carlton sat down in his barrow, taking the little fellow on his knee, yet holding him at arm's length for self-control. "How can you like being with a person you've never seen before?" asked Carlton, tremulous again, for all his strength. "'Cos I heard you makin' somekin," said Georgie, who was looking about him. "What are you makin', I say?" It was here that, without any particular provocation, Robert Carlton's resolution suddenly failed him, so that he hugged and kissed the child, in a sudden access of uncontrollable emotion. This, however, was as suddenly suppressed. Georgie had wriggled from his knee; but instead of running away (as the other feared for one breathless moment), he continued looking about him as before, bored a little, but nothing more. "What are you buildin', I say?" he now inquired. "A church." "What's a church?" Carlton came straight to his feet. "Do you never go to one?" he asked; but his tone was nearly all remorse. "No, I never." "Then have you never heard of God?" And now the tone was his most determined one. "Yes," said Georgie, subdued but not frightened. "You are sure that you have been told about God?" "Yes, sure." "Who has taught you?" "My lady and granny--not grand-daddy." "You say your prayers to Him?" "Yes, I always." "Sure?" "Yes, sure."