Bumps was quite happy now. She stood on a chair with beaming pride, whilst Jill wound her yellow ribbon round and round the coloured jersey, till she looked like some fat wasp.
Jack with his hands in his pockets was watching the proceeding impatiently.
"Hurry up, Jill—and, I say! we haven't half talked it out. How shall we manage to dip it in blood, and who's to be old Jacob?"
Jill was never at a loss.
"I'll be Jacob. I can easily be him, and we'll get a can of water, and one of Mona's red paints—the oil ones in the tubes—I'll soon make some blood."
Then Miss Falkner spoke.
"I did not mean to leave you so long, chicks, but I was looking in my box to see if I could find a story-book to read to you. I haven't been successful, but I thought we would all go out on the lawn and sit under the trees, and then I would tell you a story!"
The children's faces looked rather blank.
"We're having a game, thank you," said Jill slowly, striving to be polite.
"Why are you making Winnie such a guy? I think we must leave such games for week-days."