"'Cos never mind!"
"But I do mind; and, what's more, everybody else would mind as well."
"Then what shall we do?" cried Georgie, from his depths.
Carlton had no idea. But the boy was weary, and must be amused; that was the first necessity; and he who had never laid himself out to conciliate men must strain every nerve to please this little child. His eyes flew round the shed. And there upon the shelf stood his gargoyles deep in dust.
"Oh, what a funny old man!" cried Georgie. "Oh, ho, ho!"
But Carlton, in his ignorance of children, had over-estimated a strong child's strength; the stone head slipped through the tiny hands, narrowly missing the tiny toes; and when Georgie stooped and rolled it over, it was seen that a terrible accident had really occurred.
"Oh, oh, oh!" cried an alarming little voice, "Oh, he's broken his nose, he's broken it to bits; oh, oh!"
Carlton made a dive for the other gargoyle; but this was a peculiarly sinister face; and Georgie's tears only ran the faster.
"Oh, I don't like that one. It's a ho'ble face. I don't like it."
Carlton cast the thing from him, and at the same moment became and looked inspired.