Pennie could not see anything funny in this idea at all, but she remembered what Mrs Hawthorn had said about making their guest happy in her own way, and she felt obliged to answer:
“If you want to do it very much you may.”
She was sorry to see that Ethelwyn immediately pulled both the little roses off the tree, but tried to excuse her in her own mind. She did not understand, perhaps, how much Dickie wanted them. Such a pretty graceful creature as Ethelwyn could not do anything purposely unkind.
Nancy, however, not the least dazzled by Ethelwyn’s appearance, was boiling with anger.
“I call that—” she began; but Pennie nudged her violently and whispered: “She’s a visitor,” and the outspoken opinion was checked.
David, too, turned the general attention another way just then; he came gravely up to Ethelwyn and inquired:
“Do you like animals?”
“Animals?” said Ethelwyn; “oh, you mean pets. Yes, I like them sometimes.”
“Then I’ll show you my pig,” said David.
“A pig!” exclaimed Ethelwyn in rather a squeaky voice of surprise; “what a nasty, dirty thing to have for a pet! Don’t you mean pug?”