"You've seen them on the cinema."
"But only the outside, of course. I want to know exactly how they work. Don't laugh. Why shouldn't I? Surely every patriotic girl ought to be keen on everything in connection with the war. I wish you'd ask him."
"Why, I will if you like."
"You won't forget?"
"I'll try not."
"And there's a new shell we've just been making. I wonder how it answers. I heard we've some new guns too. Would your brother know?"
"Really, I shall never remember all this! Pity you can't come with us and ask him for yourself."
"I believe I could get an exeat——" began Chrissie eagerly.
"I'm sure you couldn't!" snapped Marjorie. "Dona and I are going just by ourselves."
The sisters spent a somewhat disturbed morning. It was difficult to concentrate their minds on lessons when such a delightful outing awaited them in the afternoon. Immediately after dinner they rushed to their dormitories to don their best dresses in honour of Leonard. They knew he would not care to take out two Cinderellas, so they made careful toilets. Marjorie, in front of her looking-glass, replaited her hair, and tied it with her broadest ribbon, chattering all the while to Chrissie, who sat on the bed in her own cubicle.