"Just this once," she said, "I'll go; but Cherubine lives without eating, and she needn't try to make me."
"But you always eat when you come here," said Fibo cheerfully. "And to-morrow we'll have tea in the garden together, and perhaps we'll have B.B. and E.E."
"You're a very C.O.," said Dreamikins, laughing, and then she danced away to the house. Fibo and she had many names they called each other, and C.O. meant Cunning Ogre.
So the next day Freda and Daffy received an invitation to tea. It came in a big envelope, and inside was a sketch of Dreamikins dancing up and down.
"The pleasure of Miss Freda's and Miss Daffy's company is requested at four o'clock upon the Dower House lawn.
"R.S.V.P.
"N.B.C."
"What does 'N.B.C.' mean?" questioned Nurse, looking at the note suspiciously through her spectacles.
Freda responded promptly:
"No best clothes! Fibo hates best clothes, and so do we. He's very fond of 'N.B.C.'"
"Dreamikins has come," said Daffy, with shining eyes. "The postman told me she came yesterday. Nurse, can we ask Dreamikins to tea one day? We must ask her back."
"'Tis to be hoped she's not so queer as her name," said Nurse grimly. "If she be proper behaved I won't go against it."