He had been sitting on the floor by Philip,
explaining to him some necessary fact about the domestic habits of
dragons. He made a motion to rise when she came in.
"Oh, please don't get up!" she begged.
She had been embarrassed when she first saw him, the only occupant
of the room (for small children are most mistakenly supposed not to
count); but, curiously enough, when she saw that he was a little
embarrassed, too, her own courage rose, and she came over quite at
her ease, sinking down at the other side of the convenient Philip.
"You asked me to remind you of something you wanted to say to me,
Philip," she said.
Philip looked up from his book amiably.
"Yes, there was," he said encouragingly, if somewhat vaguely. "Thank
you for aminding me. I just wanted to find out--if you're sure you
don't mind telling me--why you never make a fuss over John. You
know, people that marry each other do. I saw two once--ever so long
ago, but I know they did. Lots."
Joy blushed, but when you've come to Arcady for only a month, and it
really doesn't matter afterwards, you're very irresponsible.
"Why, you see, Philip, the girl isn't supposed to start making the
fusses. You'd better ask John about it--some other time--" she added
hastily.
But as she spoke she had to hold her lips hard to keep them
straight, and looked out of the corner of one black-lashed eye at
John, sitting at his ease on Philip's other side.
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