"He was mighty nice," said Luke. "Not a bit like that Mr. Goon — all threats and shouts. But how did I ever come to promise I would go back to my job — and go back to live with my stepfather, too? I wish I hadn't promised that. I'm frit."
This was a new word to the children. Bets stared at Luke.
"What's 'frit'?" she asked.
"He means he's frightened," said Fatty. "What a lovely word — frit! I shall aways say that now. Frit!"
"I'm often frit," said Bets. "I was frit the other night when I had a bad dream. I was frit today when old Clear-Orf stopped to speak to us."
"And poor Luke is frit, too," said Daisy, looking at the big boy, with his untidy hair hanging over his brown forehead. "What are we to do about it?"
"If only we could find that cat," said Pip. There came a sound from the bushes nearby. Buster pricked up his ears, gave a loud bark and flung himself into the bushes. There was a terrific scrimmage, and then something leapt wildly up a tree. The children went to see what the matter was.
They all had a tremendous surprise. Staring down at them from the tree was a beautiful Siamese cat! But it was Luke who gave them the biggest surprise of all.
"It's Dark Queen!" he shouted. "Can't you see the ting of creamy hairs in her tail? I tell you, it's Dark Queen come back! Oh, what a queer thing!"
All the children at once saw the ring of light hairs in Dark Queen's swinging tail. The lovely Siamese swung it to and fro in anger as she watched Buster jumping up and down below.