"I take you to witness," said I, "that she tried it on and I wouldn't let her."
"The more fool you!" retorted Hartnoll, edging away from me in dudgeon— but I knew he was more than half ashamed. Just at that moment to my astonishment I felt the child at my side reach up and touch my hand.
"Ugh!" said I, drawing it away quickly. "Paws off, please! Eh?—what's this?" For she was trying to thrust something into it and to close my fingers upon it.
"Hush!" she whispered. "It's your watch."
I gave a whistle. "My watch? How the deuce did you come by my watch?"
"Prigged it," said the child in a business-like voice. "Don't know why I gave it back: seemed that I wanted to. That's why I offered to come with you: and now I'm glad. Don't care if I do get a hiding."
For the moment, while she plodded alongside, I could only feel the watch over in my hand, making sure that it was really mine.
"But," said I, after a long pause of wonder, "you don't suppose that I want to give you a hiding, eh?—and you a girl, too!"
"No."
"Then who's going to beat you?"