But they didn't understand even then. And the whole company stood silent, with their mouths open, and watched Daddy Longlegs follow the strange lady away. She had beckoned to him. And he had[p. 119] started after her without a word of protest.
His friends noticed that she was considerably bigger than he was.
Well, they might have been standing there yet if little Mrs. Ladybug hadn't arrived just then, quite out of breath from hurrying. And of course she wanted to know what had happened.
"For pity's sake!" she cried, after she had listened to the strange story. "Do you mean to say you haven't heard the news? Didn't you know that Daddy Longlegs had a new wife? Naturally, a bride wouldn't care to have her young husband known as 'Grandfather Graybeard.'"
"Ah! But he's very old!" said little Mr. Chippy.
"How do you know?" Mrs. Ladybug inquired.
[p. 120]Mr. Chippy had to admit that he had no means of knowing.
And then Mrs. Ladybug looked very wise.
"I have reason to believe," she said "that Daddy Longlegs is a much younger person than we have always supposed."
THE END