"The talk is getting very difficult and dull," sighed Dawn.
The little party broke up then, but as Christina walked home between Puggy and the maid who had come to fetch them, she murmured to herself:
"So it doesn't matter if I feel a coward as long as I don't do like a coward. Oh, I hope I shall remember in time!"
[CHAPTER VII]
A WINTER PICNIC
PUGGY was summoned back to school before the Christmas holidays, and Christina missed him more than she had thought possible. Dawn and his father were soon going back to London, and one Saturday morning Dawn appeared in Christina's schoolroom before she had finished her breakfast.
"Good-morning, Miss Loder. Please—we know it's a holiday, and may we borrow Tina for the day? It's going to be fine and dad is going to paint out of doors, and we're going to camp out and boil our kettle, and drive in a trap, and there's just room for Tina between dad's knees!"
Christina clapped her hands with delight. Miss Loder considered.
"How late will you be out?"
"We'll be back before dark."