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Stay! The gold locket studded with diamonds and rubies, which contained Alice’s photograph. The one memento of her that he had kept, even when the pangs of starvation were upon him. He brought it from its resting-place next his heart.

“A little something to wear round your neck, child,” he said. “See!”

“Thank oo,” said Elsie. “Why, it opens!”

“Yes, it opens,” said Robert moodily.

“Why, it’s Alith! Sister Alith!”

[EDITOR. HA!

AUTHOR. I THOUGHT YOU’D LIKE THAT.]

Robert leapt to his feet as if he had been shot.

“Who?” he cried.

“My sister Alith. Does oo know her too?”

Alice’s sister! Heavens! He covered his face with his hands.

The door opened.

[EDITOR. HA AGAIN!]

“What are you doing here, Elsie?” said a voice. “Go to bed, child. Why, who is this?”

“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–“

With a gesture of infinite compassion she stopped him.

“Then let us forgive each other,” she said with a smile. “A new year is beginning, Robert!”

He took her in his arms.

“Listen,” he said.

In the distance the bells began to ring in the New Year. A message of hope to all weary travellers on life’s highway. It was New Year’s Day!

[EDITOR. I THOUGHT CHRISTMAS DAY HAD STARTED ON THE EMBANKMENT. THIS WOULD BE BOXING DAY. AUTHOR. I‘M SORRY, BUT IT MUST END LIKE THAT. I MUST HAVE MY BELLS. YOU CAN EXPLAIN SOMEHOW.

EDITOR. THAT’S ALL VERY WELL. I HAVE A GOOD DEAL TO EXPLAIN AS IT IS. SOME OF YOUR STORY DOESN’T FIT THE PICTURES AT ALL, AND IT IS TOO LATE NOW TO GET NEW ONES DONE.

AUTHOR. I AM AFRAID I CANNOT WORK TO ORDER.

EDITOR. YES, I KNOW. THE ARTIST SAID THE SAME THING. WELL, I MUST MANAGE SOMEHOW, I SUPPOSE. GOOD-BYE. ROTTEN WEATHER FOR AUGUST, ISN’T IT?]