“Father Kwithmath, thithter.”

[Editor.  How exactly do you work the lisping?

Author.  What do you mean?  Don’t children of ELSIE’S tender years
lisp sometimes?

Editor.  Yes; but just now she said “Kwistmas” Quite correctly—­

Author.  I am glad you noticed that.  That was an effect which I
intended to produce.  Lisping is brought about by placing the Tongue
upon the hard surface of the palate, and in cases where the subject
is unduly excited or influenced by emotion the lisp becomes more
pronounced. In this case—­

Editor.  YETH, I thee.]

“Send her away,” cried Robert, without raising his head.

The door opened, and closed again.

“Well,” said Alice calmly, “and who are you?  You may have lied to this poor child, but you cannot deceive me.  You are not Father Christmas.”

The miserable man raised his shamefaced head and looked haggardly at her.

“Alice!” he muttered, “don’t you remember me?”

She gazed at him earnestly.

“Robert!  But how changed!”

“Since we parted, Alice, much has happened.”

“Yet it seems only yesterday that I saw you!”

[Editor.  It was only yesterday.

Author.  Yes, yes.  Don’t interrupt now, please.]

“To me it has seemed years.”

“But what are you doing here?” said Alice.

“Rather, what are you doing here?” answered Robert.

[Editor.  I think Alice’s question was the more reasonable one.]

“My uncle Joseph lives here.”

Robert gave a sudden cry.

“Your uncle Joseph!  Then I have broken into your uncle Joseph’s house!  Alice, send me away!  Put me in prison!  Do what you will to me!  I can never hold up my head again.”

Lady Alice looked gently at the wretched figure in front of her.

“I am glad to see you again,” she said.  “Because I wanted to say that it was my fault!”

“Alice!”

“Can you forgive me?”

“Forgive you?  If you knew what my life has been since I left you!  If you knew into what paths of wickedness I have sunk!  How only this evening, unnerved by excess, I have deliberately broken into this house—­your uncle Joseph’s house—­in order to obtain food.  Already I have eaten more than half a turkey and the best part of a plum-pudding.  If you knew, I—­”