Rose Aviolet came downstairs, leading the little boy by the hand.
“Cecil, come here,” said his grandmother directly.
“Good-morning, Grandmama.”
“Good-morning, my dear. Now listen to me. You know that Dr. Lucian and his sister, who were so kind to you yesterday, have lost something?”
“No,” said Cecil guilelessly.
“Ces!” his mother exclaimed sharply.
He stared up at her with big, innocent brown eyes.
“Rose, I thought you told me——”
“So I did. Ces, you know you were a naughty boy, and took——”
“Leave him to me, if you please, Rose. I should like to get to the bottom of this. If the child confessed his naughtiness to you this morning, there’s no reason he shouldn’t own to it again now, in front of Dr. Lucian. Now, Cecil, did you take away anything that didn’t belong to you, when you went to this gentleman’s house yesterday?”