"But, pardon me," said the Admiral, "do either of you find it impossible to forgive me?" "On the contrary," replied Phil, "it is impossible to see where you were to blame. Trixy herself took the letter to you and asked you to finish it, so you couldn't help reading it. Neither could you help supposing it to be what she thought it, her own letter, for it began 'Dear Old Papa.'" "But," persisted the Admiral, "I was guilty, shamefully so, that in my absent-mindedness I took it from my pocket at the club, to sketch upon." "Just as I frequently use letters to figure upon," said Phil. "Thank you--thank you. And poor Jermyn, in making his own sketch, and knowing, of course, the subject of conversation, looked at the written portion, supposing it to be something pertinent to the subject." "Quite naturally, and each of you afterward had a lot of trouble which he didn't in the least deserve." "I don't see," said Trif, "that anyone is to blame but I. The experience teaches me never again to leave a letter unfinished." "Thank you, my dear," said Phil. "You see, Admiral, that your loss is to be my gain. Hereafter I'm not to be disappointed when longing for letters." "What letters, papa?" asked Trixy from the sitting-room, where she was conducting a spelling lesson for dolls. "None, dear--tis nothing that you would understand." "If there is no feeling against me, therefore," said the Admiral, adhering to the purpose of his call, "would you mind, after erasing Mrs. Highwood's lines, giving the sketches to me?" "It will give me the greatest pleasure to place them in your hands," said Phil, taking some papers from the pocket of his coat. "Why, they're not here! Hem! Ah, I remember; I changed some papers hurriedly this morning to my coat at the office, and apparently those were among them. I'll get them to you to-morrow, and leave them at your hotel as I come up town." "I shall be there to receive them," said the Admiral, putting on a look of resignation. "Excuse my eagerness and anxiety in the matter, but those sketches have become a veritable nightmare to me." "I don't wonder," said Phil, "considering what they represent. Trixy, dear, don't laugh so loud. What is the matter?" "Oh, I'm tellin' the dolls somethin' funny, and I have to do the laughin' for the whole lot of them, don't you see?" "Bless the child!" exclaimed the Admiral. "Don't check her, please. I wonder if the dolls would think it an intrusion if I were to look on?" "Phil!" said Trif, suddenly. "Yes, my dear." "Do you want to please me very much?" "You know I do." "Then go down to your office to-night for those sketches--it isn't yet late enough for the janitor to be asleep. I'm sure that our friend the Admiral, will sleep much easier when he has those pictures securely in his possession."