"I wish my brains had fizzled out in the examination room and I'd run away to sea."
"Ah! That's the spirit. You'll be useless on this new job I shall have for you, unless you're full of fire. It'll require courage, initiative and plenty of go. There's only one member of the whole family who has those qualities at present."
I waited for what I thought would be the inevitable reference to himself. But it didn't come.
"You can't guess who it is, George?"
"No——!"
"It's Molly, of course. It was she who first put me on to this gland business. That, if you like, required courage and initiative. There's a great future before Molly. She's being lost in England, and I hope when the time comes that she'll join us in the venture."
He still wouldn't tell me what this Great Idea was, but when I reached home that evening a thought suddenly struck me. I went in search of Molly, caught sight of her sitting on the top branch of the walnut tree, and shouted for her to come down.
She descended slowly and carefully.
"You shouldn't have gone up there," I said. "It is very dangerous. I thought you couldn't climb the walnut tree."
"Nor did I, till I tried hard, Daddy."