Anita gave a long sigh. "Do you know, I believe that pother, as you call it, that capacity for getting all wrought up must run in the family, for I used to be the most excitable child and I am afraid I led poor mamma a pretty dance many a time."
Lillian laughed. "Well, my child, you have a living example of what it means to allow that habit to grow on you. Take warning."
"Just what I am doing," returned Anita. "How differently you arrange flowers over here, such a number of little vases all over the place."
"How do you arrange them?"
"We generally have just one or two big vases or bowls with masses of flowers in them."
"How curious. There come the boys, Nita. I'll take these in and then we will go to meet them. They will like to hear of Aunt Bets and your two visitors. Bertie loves to have me tell him about Aunt Bets."
But although the boys laughed at the account of Aunt Bets and were amused at Lillian's imitations of American accent, at the last they looked grave when they were told that the Perley sisters had been advised to leave the country.
"Looks serious," remarked Bertie after a little time in which both he and Harry were plunged in thought. "I'm afraid it's coming, Hal."
Harry nodded gravely, but Lillian cried, "Don't be croakers, you two. Because two scary old women choose to run away in a fright, is no reason why you should cry 'Wolf! Wolf!'"
"But the wolf came at the last," Harry reminded her.