"I wish I hadn’t done it!" He kicked the fender moodily. "Oh, don’t, Denis! It was splendid. Isn’t it a true sign of power to move your audience? Besides—somehow it has done me good—it has made me feel—_know_—that we’re going back to it all some day!" "How?" Her beautiful eyes were misty; she gave a little radiant smile. "Oh, how should I know! But it _has_! And I’m sure it’s done the same to Sheila Pat!" But that night she had to turn her pillow round more than once. *CHAPTER XIV* Six gold watches at 1d. . . . . . . . 6 Six gold horses at 1d. . . . . . . . 6 Two dolls at 2d. . . . . . . . . . . 4 Bottle of gum at 1d. . . . . . . . . 1 Two drums at 4 ¾d. . . . . . . . . . 9 ½ \ — Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2−2 ½ Nell handed it over to Denis with an air of pride. "That’s all we’ve bought for Christmas so far, Denis. We’d better hurry up." "There’s not much to get this year," he said gloomily. She stabbed the table with her pencil. "Sir William Harrison will give ’em all their Christmas ’comforts,’" he pursued with a sneer. She sighed. "Nora says in the letter I had this morning that they’re really very nice people, only none of them can bear to see them in our home. She says they’re awfully good to the poor people, and—and haven’t altered anything—" There was a silence. "There’s the hospital," she began; "we must send the box off in good time, and I want to give Sarah’s little brothers and sisters presents, and now Sheila Pat has chummed up with that milkman, and he certainly has two of the dearest little chubby girls! There’s a good deal to get, Denis." "So there is, asthore! To-morrow’s Saturday. We’ll go shopping directly after lunch!" He picked up a chocolate cake from the table and ate it. It was one of a lot he had bought for Sheila Pat, whose lunch, in punishment for some misdeed, had been meagre and puddingless. Miss Kezia invariably punished the Atom so, and Denis invariably bought her a substitute of cakes and goodies to make up. "It’ll have to be ingenious shopping this year, Denis," Nell said. He tapped his brow. "Here’s an idea now! Surely in big toy shops some of the toys must get broken! Eh? Here’s the shopper. We’ll buy the broken toys, and I’ll mend ’em. See, I’ll turn carpenter for the nonce! Oh, we’ll drive wonderful bargains between us! What a head I’ve got!" The next afternoon they set forth. The first toy shop they came to was a large and fashionable one. Molly elected to wait outside, but the others marched gaily in. A tall and smiling damsel came gliding towards them, but at Denis’s debonair request for damaged toys, the smile froze, and the damsel informed him coldly that it was not a second-hand shop. He smiled blandly, and responded that he could see that, but had thought that even in such an elegant emporium things must occasionally be broken.