“Where did the mandarin come from?”
“A long, long way off, my dear,” replied Miss Unity, with a far-away look in her eyes as though she saw the distant country herself.
“Could another be got?” continued Pennie.
Her godmother looked inquiringly at her eager face.
“Another!” she repeated. “I suppose so. But I could never care about another.”
“Not if it were just exactly the same?” persisted Pennie.
“It could not be the same to me,” said Miss Unity; “but why do you ask, my dear?”
“Because,” said Pennie, “we wanted to get you another one for a surprise—only—things happened—and we couldn’t save enough money.”
Miss Unity leant forward suddenly and kissed her little guest.
“I thank you quite as much for the thought, dear Pennie, as if you had done it,” she said. “But I am glad you did not. There were reasons which made me fond of the old mandarin years and years ago. I do not think I should like to see a new one in his place.”