'You think nothing but good of me, Chris.'
'I only say what I feel. And you really want uncle Bryan to love you?'
'Yes--more than I can say--and I can scarcely tell why.'
'Except,' I said, with a foolish hesitation, 'that you like to be loved by everybody.'
'Perhaps it is because of that, Chris. I do like everybody to love me. It is much nicer so.'
If I wanted any consolation I supplied it by observing: 'To be sure, there are different kinds of love.'
'Indeed!' exclaimed Jessie tantalisingly. 'Is it like uncle Bryan's sugar, of different shades and different degrees of sweetness? Some of it tastes very sandy, Chris.'
'Ah, now you are joking, Jessie!'
'I am not in a joking humour. I want to speak seriously. Chris, I have sometimes wondered that you have never asked me questions about myself.'
'In what way, Jessie?'