her fled precipitately or, if no retreat
offered itself, stood stock-still, put a finger in his mouth, and
seemed to be calling on some effort of the will to make him
invisible. To-day he met her accost easily, familiarly, even with
what in a grown male might have been taken for a drunken leer.

"Well, my little man!" said Miss Oliver. "And what might you be
doing here, all by yourself?"

"Choosin'," answered 'Biades. Reluctantly he withdrew his eyes again
from gloating on Mrs Pengelly's miscellaneous exhibits. "I 'spect
it'll end in peppermint lumps, but I'd rather have trousers if a
whole penny would run to 'em."

He held out his palm, exhibiting a coin over which his fingers
quickly closed again.

"What's that money you have?" asked Miss Oliver sharply.

"A penny," answered the child. "A whole penny. I like peppermint
lumps, but they smell so strong in your breath that 'Bert and 'Beida
would find out an' want to share. Of course trousers are found out
quite as easy, or easier. But you can't go shares in trousers: not,"
added 'Biades thoughtfully, "if you try ever so."

"May I see the pretty penny?" coaxed Miss Oliver: for in the glimpse
allowed her it had seemed an extraordinarily bright and yellow one.

"You mustn' come no nearer than you are now," said 'Biades, backing a
little. After an inward struggle he opened his fingers and disclosed
the coin.

"Where did you get _that?_" Miss Oliver's eyes were notoriously
sharp. Her voice rapped out the question in a way that made 'Biades
blink and clasp the coin again as he cast a desperate look behind him
in search of retreat.

"Mr Nanjivell gave it to me."

"Mr Nanjivell! . . . He couldn't!" Miss Oliver took a step forward.
'Biades lowered his head.

"If you come a step closer I'll butt 'ee!" He threatened.
"Mr Nanjivell gave it to me," he repeated, and, seeing her taken
aback, soared upon the wing of falsehood. "Mother's changing houses,
an' Mr Nanjivell said I'd behaved so quiet I deserved a penny if ever
a boy did in this world."

"A penny?" Miss Oliver echoed. "But where did he--how did he come
across that kind of penny? Such a bright penny, I mean."

"He spat upon it, an' rubbed it on his trousers," answered 'Biades
with a glibness that astonished himself, 'peeking' between his
fingers to make sure that they really held the prize. Inspiration
took the child, once started, and he lied as one lifted far above
earth. "Mr Nanjivell said