"We won't have any arguments to-day. We're going to enjoy ourselves, and Scotland is top and foremost. She shall have the seat of honour!"
He led them gaily into the dining-room, where Miss O'Flagherty was already making the tea. She was a tall, silent woman with a sweet smile, and Christina held up her face to be kissed with the assurance of being welcome.
"You are going to pour out tea for us all," she said to the little girl.
"But I would rather not," said Christina, "it won't be a treat if I do, for I shall be afraid of doing it wrong!"
"You are never going to be afraid of anything or anybody any more!" said Mr. O'Flagherty.
And then Christina without a word sat down behind the big teapot, and, aided by Aunt Rachael, poured out the tea quite successfully.
It was a merry meal. Mr. O'Flagherty was like a boy himself; he told funny stories and asked riddles and cracked jokes, and Dawn was bubbling over with mirth and high spirits.
When tea was over, they had a game of hide and seek indoors. Mr. O'Flagherty hid in the kitchen copper, Dawn put himself inside a bolster case upon his aunt's bed, and Puggy nearly drowned himself in the cistern. When they were all tired out they came into Mr. O'Flagherty's studio; the boys lay down before the big wood fire, and Christina sat on the artist's knees. Then they began to talk about fear and what it was and who had it, and into the middle of their talk came Miss Bertha, who had been asked to tea, but had not been able to leave some visitor who had arrived.
She sat down by the fire too.
"Englishmen are never afraid!" asserted Puggy.