“Oh, she leads him on,” said Wooden’s mother, who was still very much annoyed.
“Teddy has always been flighty, for a bear,” said Wooden. “I haven’t liked to say anything, dear, but I think it would be a good thing if you were to speak to him. He would pay attention to you.”
When they got inside the house of the ark they found a most beautifully furnished apartment, with big windows on either side, through which the scenery on the banks of the river could be observed as they went along.
On the table was spread a most sumptuous repast. There was a dish of chicken, consisting entirely of wishing-bones; there was a pudding made of one gigantic chocolate cream; there were little baby bananas growing on a live tree in the middle of the table; there were sandwiches of toast and butter and watercress and blackberry jam and potted prawns, all mixed up together in the most ingenious manner, and very seductive to the palate; there was a birthday cake and a wedding cake; there was a jelly that tasted of violets and another that tasted of carnations; there were delicious drinks, from the sweet and comforting chocolate of the cold north to the iced sherbet of the burning south; there were dozens of crackers, and every one of them contained a beautiful toy, a motto, a cap of coloured paper decorated with gold and silver, and a small but valuable piece of jewellery. In short, there was every delicacy of the season, and all in the utmost profusion.
Wooden’s aunt was already deep in the repast when they got inside. She was purple in the face, and beginning to breathe heavily.
“Such greed I never saw,” said Wooden’s mother, eyeing her severely. “She has not even washed her hands.”
Teddy, however, was nowhere to be seen, and the servant-doll said that he had gone out by another door into Mr. Noah’s cabin. Mr. Noah had invited him to have a steak and onions with him. Peggy was rather glad not to have to rebuke him before company, for she was fond of Teddy. She thought that if he were kept away from Wooden’s aunt he would probably behave all right.
The servant-doll had led them into a nice airy bedroom, which opened out of the main saloon, and Peggy washed her hands, and then put on a very pretty pinafore made of lace and chiffon, which the servant-doll gave her. When they were all ready they went into the saloon and sat down at the table, and much enjoyed their repast, while the ark was drawn rapidly along the winding river.
Unfortunately their enjoyment was marred by the continued bad behaviour of Wooden’s aunt, who went on as if she had really never been in respectable company before. When she could eat no more—and that was not for a long time—Wooden’s mother gave her a dose of Gregory powder, which she always carried about with her for such emergencies, or she would probably have died. As it was she felt very ill, and said so in a thoroughly vulgar manner.
Wooden was most distressed at her behaviour, but she was so kind-hearted that she could not help making excuses for her. “Greediness and vulgarity and vanity are her only failings, poor thing,” she said. “Otherwise she has a very charming character. We all have our little weaknesses, and we must not think too much of them.”