'Certainly, sir,' said Pete gravely.
Godfrey jingled his pennies thoughtfully.
'There's a good deal of money,' he remarked. 'Perhaps there might be some over.'
'Very true, sir,' said Pete with much seriousness. Godfrey considered again. Then that happy Christmas feeling which makes our hearts widen to all the world got the best of it:
'If there should be any over, Pete,' he said, 'I should like you to choose another present.'
'I shall be proud to do my best, sir. Would the present be for a lady or a gentleman, sir?'
'For a gentleman, Pete. A gentleman not very young and not at all handsome, that doesn't care much about nice things or pretty things, so it mustn't be an ornament; and that only reads the paper, so it mustn't be a story-book; and that doesn't like any games, so it mustn't be anything to play with. Do you think you could do that, Pete?'
'I'd try, Master Godfrey. It 'd be a useful thing, now, the gentleman would fancy?'
'Yes, certainly useful,' said Godfrey decidedly; 'and rather cheerful too, if you could manage it, for Cousin Cray—I mean the gentleman—isn't a very cheerful gentleman, and I thought perhaps a present might make him a little more cheerful for Christmas.'
'And I'm to spend all this money, Master Godfrey?'