He felt like a reprieved prisoner.
After a few moments Mr.Clark brought the little girl in, cloaked and hooded and ready to go.
When Livingstone faced the two blue eyes that were fastened on him in calm, and, by no means, wholly approving inspection, he felt like a deep-dyed culprit.

Had he known of this ordeal in advance he could not have faced it, but as it was he must now carry it through.
What he did was, perhaps, the best that any one could have done.

After the cool, little handshake she vouchsafed him, Livingstone, finding that he could not stand the scrutiny of those quiet, unblenching eyes, threw himself on the child's mercy.
"Kitty," he said earnestly, "I did you this evening a great wrong, and your father a great wrong, and I have come here to ask you to forgive me .-- I have been working so hard that I did not know it was Christmas, and I interfered with your father's Christmas--and with your Christmas; for I had no little girls to tell me how near Christmas was.

And now I want to get up a Christmas for some poor children, and I don't know how to do it, so I have come to ask you to help me.

I want you to play Santa Claus for me, and we will find the toys, and then we will find the children.