Bonny turned once more, this time to be confronted by another visitor, and oddly enough another teacher, the head master of the parochial institution where Robert was supposed to learn more refinement than he could at the public schools of the city.
“My dear, Mr. Benton. He has called about Robert’s absence, fearing he was ill. He also has a broken engagement to explain. Where have you both been all day?”
“Mother! must I tell—now—before these?”
“I know of no reason why you should not. I hope my children have not absented themselves from their duties for any cause which they would be ashamed to mention.” There was both pride and pain in the widow’s tone, and Bonny opened her lips to “make a clean breast of the matter,” but a second thought restrained her. What she had done might have been unwise, but she saw no reason to explain their actual poverty to “all the world.” For the first time in her life she refused to answer her mother’s question, and a spot of heightened color burned on each cheek as she bowed and murmured: “I cannot give the reason now, dear. Please do not press me;” and immediately quitted the apartment.
But alas for the Beckwith pride! In her haste Beatrice forgot that she had left the garrulous “Humpty-Dumpty” behind her.
CHAPTER VIII.
PROPOUNDING A RIDDLE.
“GINGER! If Bon hasn’t dropped them oysters down kerflump!” cried Robert, picking up the brown paper parcel and laying it on his mother’s lap. Then he plunged one pudgy hand deep in the corner of his pocket, where the hole had been pinned together, and produced four silver quarters. “Hi! there, Motherkin! See them?” and he cast a supercilious glance about upon the spectators, as if pitying the envy which must thrill their breasts.
“I see, dear. But go and make your excuses to Mr. Benton. I have had none to make for you.”
Robert immediately crossed to the master’s side and explained: “I couldn’t come ter school to-day, sir, ’cause my sister had ter go an’ sell some chrysms on the Avenue, an’ I didn’t like ter let her go alone. It ain’t nice fer girls to go ter places alone, my mother says.”
