'
'It has quite put out the Desert Island passion, which used to be a
regular stage in these children's lives. Every voyage we have taken,
somebody has come to ask whether there was any hope of being wrecked on
one.'
'Fergus even asked when we crossed from Dublin,' said Gillian.
'He was put up to that, to keep up the tradition,' observed Harry.
On reaching the house, the elders proceeded to five o'clock tea in the
drawing-room, the juniors to gouter in the dining-room. As Dolores
entered, she beheld a row of all her five younger cousins drawn up
looking at her as if se had committed high treason, and she was
instantly addressed--
'Tell-take tit!' began Valetta.
'Sneak!' cried Wilfred.
'I will call her Croat!' added Fergus.
'Worse than Croat! Bashi Bazouk!' exclaimed Valetta.
'Worse than Crow!' chimed in Primrose.
'Oh, Dolores! How could you?' said Mysie.
'To get poor Willie punished!' said Val.
Dolores stood her ground. 'It was time to speak when it came to
shooting arrows at me.'
'Hush! hush! Willie,' cried Mysie. 'I told you so. Now Dolores,
listen. Nobody ever tells of anybody when it is only being tiresome
and they don't mean it, or there never would be any peace at all.
That's honour! Do you see? One may go to Gill sometimes.'
'One's a sneak if one does,' put in Wilfred; but Mysie, unheeding went
on--
'And Gill can help without a fuss or going to mamma.'
'Mamma always knows,' said Val.
'Mamma knows all about everything,' said Mysie.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93