"Auntie Hester, was I naughty about the flying half-penny?"
"No, darling. Why?"
"Because mother always says not to put pennies in my mouth, and I never did till to-day. And now Mary says I have been very naughty."
"It does not matter what Mary says," said Hester, with a withering glance towards the sleeping angel in the next crib, who was only Mary by day. "But you must never do it again, and you will tell mother all about it to-morrow."
"Yes," said Regie; "but, but—"
"But what?"
"Uncle Dick did say it was a flying half-penny, and you said so, too, and that other auntie. And I thought it did not matter putting in flying half-pennies, only common ones."
Hester saw the difficulty in Regie's mind.
"It felt common when it was inside," said Regie, doubtfully, "and yet you and Uncle Dick did say it was a flying one."
Regie's large eyes were turned upon her with solemn inquiry in them. It is crises like this that our first ideals are laid low.