She sat talking to them some time longer, and then, slipping a shilling into Bob's hand, she asked him to stay and play with Willie to-day.
Once outside the door she turned eagerly.
"Mrs. Blair," she said, to that lady's astonishment, "do you think Willie is really Bob's brother?"
"Bless me, miss," was the answer, "I haven't never thought about it.
He always calls him his brother."
"They are not much alike," said Miss Elton.
"No," replied Mrs. Blair; "but I don't know that that shows anything?
"Have you ever seen Willie undressed?" went on her questioner.
"Lor' bless you, yes!" she replied. "Why, only yesterday I gave him a good wash before he went to the tea-party." And she looked, at Miss Elton wonderingly.
"Did you notice anything about him—any particular marks about his body,
I mean?"
"No," was the answer. "Stay, though, I think I did see a little red mark on his shoulder. But it was nothing much."