f it, even at the risk of
vexing him. And having cast about for a pretext to intrude, she decided
to ask his advice on a matter that was giving her much uneasiness;
though, had he been REALLY busy, she would have gone on keeping it to
herself.

It related to little Johnny.

Johnny was a high-spirited, passionate child, who needed most careful
handling. At first she had managed him well enough. But ever since his
five months' boarding-out, he had fallen into deceitful ways; and the
habit of falsehood was gaining on him. Bad by nature, Polly felt sure
the child was not; but she could not keep him on the straight path now
he had discovered that a lie might save him a punishment. He was not to
be shamed out of telling it; and the only other cure Polly knew of was
whipping. She whipped him; and provoked him to fury.

A new misdeed on his part gave her the handle she sought. Johnny had
surreptitiously entered her pantry and stolen a plateful of cakes.
Taxed with the theft he denied it; and cornered, laid, Adam-like, the
blame on his companion, asserting that Trotty had persuaded him to take
the goodies; though bewildered innocence was writ all over the baby's
chubby face.

Mahony had the young sinner up before him. But he was able neither to
touch the child's heart, nor to make him see the gravity of what he had
done: never being allowed inside the surgery, John could now not take
his eyes off the wonderful display of gold and purple and red moths,
which were pinned, with outstretched wings, to a sheet of cork. He
stood o-mouthed and absentminded, and only once shot a blue glance at
his uncle to say: "But if dey're so baddy ... den why did God MAKE lies
an' de debble?"--which intelligent query hit the nail of one of
Mahony's own misgivings on the head.

No real depravity, was his verdict. Still, too much of a handful, it
was plain, for Polly's inexperience. "A problem for John himself to
tackle, my dear. Why should we have to drill a non-existent morality
into his progeny? Besides, I'm not going to have you blamed for bad
results, later on." He would write to John there and then, and request
that Johnny be removed from their charge.

Polly was not prepared for this summary solution of her dilemma, and
began to regret having brought it up; though she could not but agree
with Richard that it would never do for the younger child to be
corrupted by a bad example. However she kept her wits about her. Did
John take the boy