"In course!" he said. "I never thought of that."
"And don't you see, dear Ted, that it would be wrong to take things out of a shop without paying for them? They belong to the man of the shop—it would be just like some one coming to our house and taking away your father's coat or my bonnet, or your little blue cart that you like so much, or——"
"Or Cissy's bootly boo boots," suggested Ted, clutching hold more tightly of the parcel, as if he thought the imaginary thief might be at hand.
"Yes," said his mother, "or Cissy's new boots, which are mine now because I paid money for them to the man."
"Ses," said Ted. Then a very thoughtful expression came into his face. "Muzzer," he said, "this soda was that man's—sall I take it back to him and tell him I didn't understand?"
"Yes," said his mother. "I do think it is the best thing to do. Shall we go at once? It is only just round the corner to his shop."
She said this thinking that little Ted would find it easier to do it at once, for she was sorry for her little boy having to explain to a stranger the queer mistake he had made, though she felt it was right that it should be done. "Shall we go at once?" she repeated, looking rather anxiously at the small figure beside her.
"Ses," said Ted, and rather to her surprise his tone was quite bright and cheery. So they turned back and walked down the street till they came to the corner near which was the grocer's shop.
Ted's mother had taken the parcel of the little boots from him and held him by the hand, to give him courage as it were. But he marched on quite steadily without the least flinching or dragging back, and when they reached the shop it was he who went in first. He walked straight up to the counter and held out the lump of soda to the shopman.
"Please, man," he said, "I didn't know I should pay money for this. I didn't understand till muzzer told me, and so I've brought it back."