"That seems an odd proceeding for one of the brightest ornaments of the Shires," said Humphrey.
The Squire knit his heavy brows. "We can show her very good sport," he said, "if that's what she wants. But I should like to know why she came here, all the same."
"There's more in this than meets the eye," said Nancy, very unwisely, for she and Joan were instantly sent out of the room.
"What are you children doing here?" asked the Squire sharply. "Why aren't you with Miss Bird? Run along now; you've got lessons to do, or something."
"We don't have lessons on Saturday. Can't we stay with Cicely, father?" asked Joan.
"I must be going directly," said Cicely, rising. "But I'll come with you and pay a last farewell to the dear old Starling."
So the three of them retired, and directly they got out of the room Joan fell upon Nancy. "What an idiot you are!" she said. "If you had kept quiet we should have heard everything. When you get hold of a new speech you must always be poking it in. We've had enough of 'There's more in this than meets the eye.' I wish you'd get hold of a new one."
"I own it was foolish of me," said Nancy. "I'm at the mercy of a phrase. Still, it was quite true. We know who Dick is in love with now. Of course he got her down here. Humphrey said she was very beautiful."
"You are not to talk like that, children," said Cicely. "You know nothing about these things."
"Darling!" said Joan, squeezing her arm. "Don't be so frightfully grown-up. We are not children any longer, and we know a good deal more than you think."