Mr. Evringham wiped his mustache.  “You need not spend any of it for the rubbers,” he returned.  “You are buying those to please me.”

“I shall love to wear them to please you, grandpa,” she returned affectionately.  “I’ll put them on every time I can think of it.”

“Only when it is wet, of course,” he said.  “When it is rainy.”

“Oh yes,” she returned, “when it’s rainy.”

“Harry looked like my father, and she does, by Jove,” mused Mr. Evringham.  “She’s like me.  Knows what she wants to eat, and cares for a horse, if she is a strange little being.”

“You say you like horses?” he remarked suddenly.

“I just love them,” answered Jewel, “and I came real close to them once.  Father took me to the horse show.”

“He did, eh?”

“Yes, he told mother he was going to blow me to it.”  The child laughed.  “Father’s the greatest joker; he says the funniest things.  He didn’t blow me to it at all.  He took me in the cable car, and we had more fun!  It was the most be—­eautiful place you ever saw.”

“It was, eh?”

“Yes.  The music was playing, and there were coaches and four-in-hands and horns and men in red coats and beautiful little shiny carriages—­and the horses!  Oh, they all looked so proud and glad, and they trotted and ran and jumped over high fences, and the harness jingled and the people cheered!” The child’s cheeks were glowing.

Mr. Evringham gave an exclamation that was almost a laugh.  “You didn’t sleep much that night, I’ll wager!”

“No, I didn’t want to.  I stayed awake a long time to realize that God doesn’t love one of His children any better than another, so of course some time I’ll wear a tall shiny hat and ride over fences just like flying.  I’ll have a horse,” Jewel added slowly, looking off with a rapt expression as at a long-cherished vision, “with a white star in his forehead!”

“H’m!  Very good taste,” returned Mr. Evringham, scarcely knowing what he was saying, so dazed was he by the extraordinary mixture of ideas.

After breakfast he had his usual interview with Mrs. Forbes concerning the important event of dinner.  Jewel had run upstairs to dress Anna Belle.

The menu decided upon, Mr. Evringham still lingered.

“Mrs. Forbes, I have never had any experience with little girls.  You have, no doubt,” he said.  “Am I right in thinking that my granddaughter is—­is a rather unusual specimen?”

“She’s older than Dick’s hatband, sir,” rejoined the housekeeper promptly.

“Are they, perhaps, teaching differently in the schools from what they used to?”

“Not that I know of, Mr. Evringham.”

“She uses very unusual expressions.  I can’t make it out.  You are an intelligent woman, Mrs. Forbes.  Did you ever happen to hear of such a thing as the—­a—­a—­Scientific Statement of Being!”

“Never in my life, sir,” returned the housekeeper virtuously.