But she had not. Never in their lives had the children been talked to like this, but they liked it. And being intelligent, perhaps precocious for their age, they understood, and their hearts had responded quickly, as an instrument might respond to the skilled hand which with a touch knows how to draw out its beauty.
Another pause followed Anstice's words.
"Shall we have a month's trial of my plan?" she said.
The little girls were silent. They looked at Ruffie, and then very quietly, he pointed his two thumbs upwards.
"Yes, we'll try. It's a truce remember, only a truce."
"But it will be pax for a month," said Anstice quietly, "and I give you notice that I'm going to try hard for 'Pax' altogether. Now let us smoke the pipe of peace, my brothers, and we'll have a drink of 'Honeybunny.'"
She rang the bell. Her delicious concoction had been made, and Brenda brought it in on a tray. Four glasses were handed round and filled with some golden fizzy drink. The children sipped and pretended to smoke.
"It's like honey and wine and sherbet and lemon," said Ruffie appreciatively.
"If Ruffie had held his thumbs down, you'd have been done for," said Josie, turning to Anstice confidentially.
"Then I have only just escaped by the skin of my teeth," said Anstice. "I must be thankful."