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ees THE LOST HALF-SOVEREIGN. 53

    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
       
   

that Carrots had been busy “tidying” for Floss
that morning.

“Master Carrots, my dear,” she said, “ when
you were busy at Miss Floss’s drawer to-day,
you didn’t open mine, did you, and touch any-
thing in it?”

«Oh, no,” said Carrots at once; “I’m quite,
quite szre I didn’t, nursie.”

“You're sure you didn’t touch nurse’s purse,
or a little tiny packet of white paper, in her
drawer?’ inquired Floss, with an instinct that
the circumstantial details might possibly recall
some forgotten remembrance to his mind.

“ Quite sure,” said Carrots, looking straight
up in their faces with a thoughtful, but not un-
certain, expression in his brown eyes.

«Because nurse has lost something out of
her drawer, you see, Carrots dear, and she is
very sorry about it,” continued Floss.

“What has she lost ? But I’m sure,” repeated
Carrots, “I didn’t touch nurse’s drawer, nor
nucken in it. What has nurse lost?”

« A half-sovereign ’— began Floss; but nurse

interrupted her.