So when, towards teatime, the boys returned, she was in the midst of giving a Sunday School lesson to a class of inattentive dolls and a stuffed elephant. She broke off a sensational and circumstantial account of Joseph’s adventures to ask if they had seen Grif. “No; and we didn’t see the circus either, though we went ever so far. They must have taken some other road.” It was Jim who replied, while he gazed down at his sister’s dolls with a sneaking desire to join in the game. “Grif went out to look for Bouncer. He’s been lost since dinner-time.” “Who has?... That’s my elephant, you know.” “Oh, Jim! it isn’t; you gave it to me your very self!” “Who’s lost?” Edward took up. “Bouncer. We all looked for him――Bridget and Hannah and me and Grif. And then Grif ran away down the drive, and I don’t know where he’s gone.” “He’s probably having a singing-lesson.... What are you going to sleep for, Dorset?” Palmer, seated with his back against the tree under which Ann’s Sunday School class also reposed, made no reply. An idea had just occurred to him, and his finger-tips were joined. He knew that from this sign Edward ought to be able to see that he was thinking deeply, therefore there was no need for words. As a matter of fact, the same suspicion that had flashed on Grif had occurred to Palmer, though their methods of following it up were characteristically different, and Palmer’s deductions went a good deal further. He did not mention to Edward what these deductions were; he made no attempt to contradict the singing-lesson fallacy; his chum, like Doctor Watson or Bunny, would be informed when a plan of action had been properly matured, but in the meantime Palmer must have a free field. Presently he dropped his attitude of passive dreamer for that of man of action. He sprang to his feet. “I want you to lend me fifteen shillings and your bicycle.” Edward stared. To be quite truthful, the first portion of Palmer’s request had been thrown in purely for the sake of dramatic effect. He knew just as well as Ann and Jim and everybody else did that Edward had not got fifteen shillings, nor five shillings, nor, probably, even one shilling. Grif was the only one who ever had any money, and that was simply because he usually forgot to spend it till he was thoughtfully reminded by his brothers and sisters that a suitable occasion had arisen. Therefore Palmer did not repeat his demand, but retired, leaving his audience duly impressed, and raised the necessary sum in the kitchen.