Soon his mother returned and he moved to the side of the stall shedding something of his air of importance.
Then the Vicar’s wife came up. She looked about the stall anxiously, then said to William’s mother:
“IT—IT CAN’T HAVE BEEN
SOLD, CAN IT?” SAID THE
VICAR’S WIFE.
“I thought I’d put my coat down just here for a few minutes, dear. You haven’t seen it, have you? I put it just here.”
William’s mother joined in the search.
Over William’s face stole a look of blank horror.
“It——it can’t have been sold, dear, can it?” said the Vicar’s wife with a nervous laugh.
“Oh no,” said Mrs. Brown, “we’ve sold nothing. The sale’s not really been opened yet.... What sort of a coat was it?”
“A black one.”