“But you will never guess what turn their conversation took.  They did not begin to say how sorry they had been, or were; nor did they make any angry remarks about their aunt’s cruelty; but one day as they were sitting playing with Carlo, in what may be called the Tod corner of the nursery, the eldest child said suddenly to her sister, in a low voice

“‘What do you think our aunt has really done with the Tods?’

“A question which seemed not at all to surprise the other, for she answered, in the same mysterious tone:-

“‘I don’t know, but I don’t think she could burn them.’

“‘And I don’t, either,’ was the rejoinder.  ’Perhaps she has only put them somewhere where we cannot get at them.’

“The next idea came from the younger child:-

“‘Do you think she’ll ever let us have them back again?’

“But the answer to this was a long shake of the head from the wiser elder sister.  And then they began to play with Carlo again.

“But after that day they used often to exchange a few words together on the subject, although only to the same effect—­their aunt could not have burnt them, they felt sure.  She never said she had burnt them.  She only said, ‘you will never see the Tods any more.’

“Perhaps she had only put them by; perhaps she had put them by in some comfortable place; perhaps they were in their little basket in some closet, or corner of the house, quite as snug as up in the nursery.

“And here the conversation would break off again.  As to asking any questions of their aunt, that was a thing that never crossed their minds.  It was impossible; the subject was so fatally serious! . . .  But I believe there was an involuntary peeping about into closets and out-of-the-way places whenever opportunity offered; yet no result followed, and the Tods were not found.

“One night, two or three months later, and just before the little things were moved back from London to their country home; and when they were in bed in their sleeping room, as usual, and the nurse had left them, and had shut the door between them and the day nursery, where she sat at work, the elder child called out in a whisper to the younger one:-

“‘Sister, are you asleep?’

“‘No.  Why?’

“‘I’ll tell you of a place where the Tods may be.’

“‘Where?’

“‘The cellar.’

“‘Do you think so?’

“’Yes.  I think we’ve looked everywhere else.  And I think perhaps it’s very nice down there with bits of sawdust here and there on the ground.  I saw some on the bottle to-day, and it was quite soft.  Aunt would be quite sure we should never see them there.  I dare say it’s very snug indeed all among the barrels and empty bottles in that cellar we once peeped into.’

“The younger child here began to laugh in delighted amusement, but the elder one bade her ‘hush,’ or the nurse would hear them; and then proceeded whispering as before