"Well, I must say I don't see anything very extraordinary in either the making or the eating of a pudding," argues Molly, leading the way to the drawing-room with her head in the air.
With that she opens the door, and waving her hand towards her sister, says:
"This is Doris, Mr. Talboys. She was dreadfully shocked because I told you she was making a pudding, which I think very silly."
"Molly!" exclaims Honor, whereupon the young lady lapses into silence.
"I am very glad to hear you were so sensibly employed, my dear Miss Doris," says Mr. Ned, taking the girl's hand and warmly greeting her. "I am afraid there are not many young ladies in these days who can boast of such useful knowledge as that of making a pudding; but in our young days it was considered as necessary for the daughters of a family to be taught to cook, to bake, to preserve, and so on, as it was to learn reading and writing and all the rest of it. Was it not, Brother Ben?"
"Surely, surely!" answers Mr. Ben, nodding to his brother from the opposite end of the room.
In a very short time they are all chatting freely together; and Honor, thinking it a good opportunity, gathers up her courage, after a little nervous glance at her sisters, to tell the brothers of their wish to turn their talents to account in order to increase their income. The old gentlemen are delighted, and enthusiastically promise all the help that they can possibly give in the matter. Indeed, they express profound regret that their age prevents their becoming pupils of the young ladies themselves.
"Ben had a decided talent for drawing as a youngster," says Mr. Ned with a roguish twinkle in his eye. "You remember that wonderful quadruped you once drew, Ben, about which there were such divided opinions? My own idea was that it was a sheep of unusual dimensions; but I believe finally it was settled that it was a horse—possibly an Arab. They are small animals, you know."
"I think I intended it for a cow, Brother Ned," remarks Mr. Benjamin modestly; "but I assure you, young ladies, my talent for drawing was not to be compared to my brother's—shall we say genius—for music. He was actually known one day, after many hours of hard study, to have picked out and played (with one finger) that difficult and classical work popularly known as 'God Save the Queen.' Now, what do you think of that?"
Amidst the general laughter which arises at this good-natured sparring between the two old men, they rise to take their leave; and while Mr. Ned intrusts to Honor a courteous message to her mother to the effect that he and his brother will shortly do themselves the honour of calling upon her, when they shall hope to find her sufficiently recovered to receive them, Mr. Ben is entreating Doris to allow Daisy and Bobby to go to tea with them the next day.