“You are not a bit like an ogre, cousin John,” said Polly, patting lovingly the comely face, which bent down to hers. “You are very handsome, and you know it. Nobody could be frightened at you, and I’m sure Berty wasn’t; but it is very strange.”
“It is more than strange,” said Mrs. Grey, thoughtfully. “I don’t like the look of it at all. Is it possible, John, that the child has your purse?”
“My purse!” cried Dr. John, astonished. “Surely not; how can you think so?”
“Oh, Grandmamma!” said Polly, indignantly; “that good, poor, innocent little Berty! How can you say such cruel things?”
“Think a moment, John,” pursued the old lady, giving little heed to Mary’s remonstrance. “You are certain you have not seen it since you took it out to give this child the dime?”
“I certainly have not. I missed it when I put my hand in again to get my fare.”
“And you are sure you had it then?”
“As certain as I can be of anything; for I remember thinking how much trouble you gave me by insisting upon my keeping it in such an inconvenient place.”
“And this child has run away from you twice now in the most unaccountable manner,” the old lady went on; “and if it had been all right, after getting a dime from you once, she would have been certain to wait for another. It is not like these street-children, whatever Polly may think, to refuse what is offered to them. It is very sad. I am quite as unwilling to believe it as Mary can be; but, if you are certain you had it, and there were no pickpockets in the car, I’m afraid this little Berty knows something about the pocket-book. John, I’m very much afraid it’s not all right.”
Dr. John started out of another fit of musing as his grandmother ceased speaking, and glanced at Mary, who was by this time weeping bitterly over what seemed to her these cruel suspicions of her little favorite. “Well, Grandma,” said he, with a meaning look at the old lady, “I can’t be at all sure about the pickpockets. I may have had one for my next neighbor, for aught I know; or I may have laid the purse down on the seat, as you said. It would be just like me, I dare say; so we won’t suspect anybody,—we’ll wait and see; and meantime we’ll put the whole matter out of our heads.”