He asked the question quite slowly and looked at 76 the boy, who got scarlet but went on tying his rod and appeared to be considering the question carefully, weighing it in his mind as it were, and when he answered, it was as deliberately as Aymer had questioned him.
“No, sir.”
Aymer felt a sudden sense of relief, for lying had not been one of Christopher’s faults. Then almost immediately he found himself wondering first, why the boy was not angry, and secondly, why it had taken so much thought to answer at all. However, he let the matter drop and told himself he was satisfied. Christopher finished mending his rod and then sat still considering deeply. Presently he took out a penny from his pocket and began rolling it on the thick carpet, and, as he had remarked to Cæsar, it did not roll far, try as he would. At last he jumped up with a satisfied mien and went out. Cæsar heard him whistling as he went down the passage and felt easier in his mind. Renata and the babies paid their usual visit after tea, and Miss Charlotte, after a brief conversation with her uncle, slid off the sofa and trotted away to the end window, where she appeared to be diligently playing hide-and-seek with herself. Suddenly her elders were startled with a prolonged cry of anguish and Renata flew to the rescue.
“I tan’t find it; naughty mousie taken my booful golden penny,” sobbed Charlotte in her mother’s arms. Renata could make nothing of her grief and persisted in thinking that she was hurt, and cuddling her. Aymer, listening attentively, said suddenly to Renata in his imperious way:
“Give Charlotte to me, Renata, and take baby away.”
Renata obeyed meekly. People had a weak way of obeying Aymer on occasions, even against their will.
“Now, Miss Charlotte,” said Aymer, when the 77 young lady was safely deposited by him, “tell me about it. What golden penny was it?”
But Charlotte got suddenly red and stopped crying.
“Were you playing with it yesterday in the window?” asked her uncle.
Charlotte nodded.