“Had the girl been alone in your room, since you had put the money there?” inquired the elderly man.
“Do I know? But she was there a long time messing about with the children and pretending to help to dress them. A note is easily slipped up a sleeve. Is it such a big thing? Well, when I could not find it I said to myself that doubtless Theophani must have taken it, and forgotten to tell me before he went out. You know how absent-minded he is. And when I met him in the square, I forgot to ask him, and never remembered till late this afternoon; and when he said he had never touched it, of course I knew at once it could only have been Mattina who had stolen it. Who else? And I, the stupid one, who have such confidence in people and never lock things up! Who knows how much more money she has taken at times?”
“Have you missed any, besides this?” asked the elderly man.
“I would have you know, my friend, that money is not so scarce in this house that we have to count exactly how many drachmæ we leave about!” Then turning to her sisters: “Someone is knocking outside,” she said, “I must go and see who it is. You just take those children and put them to bed. They are fighting the whole time.”
It is true, there was a great noise and much whimpering when Bebeko was dragged out by one of his aunts from under the table, holding to a purple limp-looking object which was the half of his boat.
“Taki,” he sobbed, had “boken” his boat.
“He is a stupid one,” announced Taki. “What is it but a piece of aubergine, his boat?”
“Never mind, my little bird!” said the aunt, picking Bebeko up, “to-morrow I will buy you a new one; a real boat of wood!”
But to-morrow was far away for Bebeko. He kept tight hold of his half boat.
“The mast!” he cried as his aunt was carrying him off, “the mast, and my sail! They are under the table! They fell off! Taki made them fall!”