He was by no means a variable person.
"Oh! no.

Last night I hated you, and made up a story in my own mind that another really nice boy came to play with me instead of you.

And I said nice things to him, and horrid things to you; he and I played in the wood, and you had to do lessons all by yourself at school, and had nobody to play with.

But when I woke up this morning I didn't care about the pretending boy any more, and I wanted you." Christopher looked pleased; but it was not his way to express his pleasure in words.

"And so, I suppose, you came to look for me," he said.
"Not the first thing.