"A freak--a lusus naturae" said the vicar.

Paul did not know what a lusus naturae was, but it sounded mighty
grand.

"He's a fairy prince, and one day he'll come into his kingdom."

"My dear, if you saw his mother!"

"But I'm sure no one but a princess could be Paul Kegworthy's
mother," laughed Maisie.

"And his father?"

"A prince too!"

And Paul listened and drank in his goddess's words greedily. Truth
clear as crystal fell from her lips. A wild wonder racked his little
soul. She had said that his mother was not his mother, and that his
father was a prince. The tidings capped the glory of an effulgent
day.

When he sneaked home late Mrs. Button, who had learned how he had
misspent his time, gave him a merciless thrashing. Why should he be
trapesing about with Sunday schools, she asked, with impolite
embroidery, while his poor little brothers and sisters were crying
in the street? She would learn him to Mess about with parsons and
Sunday-school teachers. She was in process of "learning" him when
Mr. Button entered. He swore in a manner which would have turned out