"I hope you punish him."
"Jan does. Jan has a most effectual slap, but there's always a dreadful disturbance with the children on these occasions. Little Fay roars the house down when William has to be chastised."
"What has he done?"
"I'm not going to tell tales of William."
Miles and Meg smiled at one another, and Walter Brooke faded from his mind.
"Perhaps," he said, and paused, "you will by and by allow to William's late master a small portion of that regard?"
"If William's master on further acquaintance proves half as loyal and trustworthy as William—I couldn't help it."
"I wonder what you mean exactly by loyal and trustworthy?"
"They're not very elastic terms, are they?"
"Don't you think they mean rather the same thing?"