Soon the music struck up and the Kaiser and Bedelia proceeded to lead the grand march around the nursery.
To be sure the music was not very grand, for the doll’s piano was the sole instrument available and the only personage who could be persuaded to perform upon it was an ancient china doll, who had lost both feet, the result of having been dropped in the wash basin by Sally, and consequently was unable to do any dancing. However, the hearty good-will of the guests and their vigorous execution of the various dances on the program quite made up for all deficiencies in other directions.
At first the twins hid themselves behind the door and contented themselves with simply watching the opening exercises, although they fairly itched to be on the floor, but as the tail end of the grand march swung past them, they resolved to do or die and, boldly emerging from the hiding-place, fell into line and went capering along after the rest of the crowd, taking care, however, to keep a sharp lookout for their father, who apparently had so far failed to observe their presence.
Peter Pan, in fact, was having the time of his life, marching with an extremely pretty and vivacious stuffed guinea pig, and had already commenced to pay her such marked attention that Bedelia was observed to cast a number of uneasy glances in their direction. That two should play at her own little game was not at all a part of her program.
Peter Pan had evidently forgotten her existence; while as for the Kaiser, he never noticed him at all, save once, to salute him with a rude and irreligious gesture as they were dancing vis-à-vis. The meaning of this was as Greek to the imported bear, and as nobody cared to enlighten him on the subject the affair came to nothing.
The twins had meanwhile been dancing together, as no other partners seemed available. They might have gotten through the evening without especial notice from anyone had not Tom, after the first three dances, refused to dance lady any longer, while selfish Jerry insisted on keeping the gentleman’s part. Words soon came to blows, and in a moment the dancing ceased and everyone came hurrying up to ascertain the cause of the disturbance.
Immediately Peter Pan was in the middle of the fray, and collaring his offspring, one in each paw, he yanked them off to the dogs’ lair under Sally’s bed, where he presently left them, a considerably less impudent pair of cubs.
As Rough House was still away at the farm, there was nothing to fear from his dreadful jaws. Joined by a common trouble and each one equally anxious to get even with his father, they had now quite forgotten their differences, and held a most emphatically worded conference under the bed, at last deciding that they would run away and so square accounts with their unfeeling parent.