And do you know--it was a whole big sovereign he had given her! Now of course _he_ never knew. He wouldn't have found out in twenty centuries, and Little Sarah knew it. She did not notice till she was nearly home, and then she stopped under a lamp-post that was early lighted to look at what was in her hand. Yes, it was a sovereign. Nothing less! And, do you know, a bad, _bad_ boy named Pete Bolton came behind Little Sarah and gave her hand a good knock up. She would have lost it in about two ticks, because Pete Bolton was a perfectly horrid boy, and would have stolen it like nothing at all. Only Little Sarah was upon him with a bound like a tiger, and bit his hand (yes, it _was_ nasty, being very dirty). Only she bit Pete's hand from a sense of duty, and made him let go. She had her face rubbed in the mud, her hair tugged, and all, but she never let go the sovereign--half of which wasn't hers. There was a girl for you, and yet boys will say that only they are brave! Well, don't you think it was pretty hard for Sarah--harder, I think, after fighting for it than before? You see, she thought of all the nice things she could get for her mother with the extra ten shillings, besides new boots for herself that didn't let in the water, and--oh! a lot of things like that. Worst of all, she knew that if she did take it back to father he would only shove it in his pocket without noticing. But she said over and over: "Honesty is the best! Honesty is the best!" You see, she could not remember the word "policy," which does not improve the sentiment anyway--to my mind, at least. So back she went. Father was still mooning about among his books, and just as she expected he took the golden sovereign and shoved it back into his pocket right among pennies and pocket-knives and so on. But he quite forgot to give Sarah her own real half-sovereign. I believe he thought she had picked the coin up off the floor. For he just said, "Thank you," and went on with his work. And Little Sarah stood there fit to cry. By and by he noticed the girl and asked what she was waiting for--not unkindly, you know. But, as usual, he was busy and wanted to be left alone. "Please, sir," said Little Sarah Brown, "my half-sovereign!" "But I paid you your wages, did I not?" "Oh, yes, sir; but--" "Oh, you would like an advance on next week--very well, then." And he pulled out of his pocket the very identical piece of gold that had been Little Sarah's temptation--like mine about the Blue Vase and Mir-row, you remember. "There!" he said; "now go away! I'm busy!" "But, _please_, sir----!" "WHAT?" Then Little Sarah burst into tears, and father stared. But after a while he got at the truth--how he had given a whole sovereign in place of a half---- "Very likely--very likely!" said he. And how Sarah had brought it back--all of her own accord. "Very unlikely!" he muttered. And how he had shoved it back into his pocket without noticing----