"Try to get your mother to forgive me; but you are right to love her best. She's been a good mother to you." He put on his hat and went without another word. No one spoke, and every moment the silence grew more paralysing. Jackie examined his broken boat for a moment, and then he put it away, as if it had ceased to have any interest for him. There was no chance of going to the Rye that day; he might as well take off his velvet suit; besides, his mother liked him better in his old clothes. When he returned his mother was sorry for having broken his boat, and appreciated the cruelty. "You shall have another boat, my darling," she said, leaning across the table and looking at him affectionately; "and quite as good as the one I broke."
"Will you, mummie? One with three sails, cutter-rigged, like that?"
"Yes, dear, you shall have a boat with three sails."
"When will you buy me the boat, mummie—to-morrow?"
"As soon as I can, Jackie."
This promise appeared to satisfy him. Suddenly he looked—
"Is father coming back no more?"
"Do you want him back?"
Jackie hesitated; his mother pressed him for an answer.
"Not if you don't, mummie."