I'm sure it doesn't matter." "I suppose she'd go away if she wasn't," he concluded, and thought no more about her.
No, the real grief in his heart was that Lucy, the adored, the wonderful Lucy, treated his assertions with contempt.
"But, Bim, don't be such a silly baby.

You know you can't have seen him.
Nurse was there and a lot of us, and _we_ didn't." "I did though." "But, Bim----" "Can't help it.

He used to come lots and lots." "You _are_ a silly! You're getting too old now----" "I'm _not_ a silly!" "Yes, you are." "I'm not!" "Oh, well, of course, if you're going to be a naughty baby." Bim was nearer tears on these occasions than on any other in all his mortal life.

His adoration of Lucy was the foundation-stone of his existence, and she accepted it with a lofty assumption of indifference; but very sharply would she have missed it had it been taken from her, and in long after years she was to look back upon that love of his and wonder that she could have accepted it so lightly; Bim found in her gravity and assurance all that he demanded of his elders.

Lucy was never at a loss for an answer to any question, and Bim believed all that she told him.
"Where's China, Lucy ?" "Oh, don't bother, Bim." "No, but _where_ is it ?" "What a nuisance you are! It's near Africa." "Where Uncle Alfred is ?" "Yes, just there." "But _is_ Uncle Alfred in--China ?" "No, silly, of course not." "Well, then----" "I didn't say China was in Africa.