“Well, this is!” declared Kenneth, who was carefully taking the tissue papers from his gift, which proved to be a glass globe, containing two goldfish.
“They are Darby and Juliet,” he remarked, as he looked anxiously into the bowl. “I am so tired of hackneyed pairs of names, that I’ve varied these. But, won’t you send for some more water? I had to bring them with only a little, for fear I’d spill it, and they seem to have drunk it nearly all up.”
“Nonsense! they don’t drink the water; they only swim in it.”
“That’s the trouble. There isn’t enough for them to swim in. And yet there’s too much for them to drink.”
Patty rang for Jane, who then brought them a pitcher of ice water.
Kenneth poured it in, but at the sudden cold deluge, Darby and Juliet began to behave in an extraordinary manner. They flew madly round and round the bowl, hitting each other, and breathing in gasps.
“The water’s too cold,” cried Patty.
“Of course it is,” said Kenneth; “get some hot water, won’t you?”
Patty ran herself for the hot water, and returned with a pitcher full.
“Don’t you want a little mustard?” she said, giggling. “I know they’ve taken cold. A hot mustard foot-bath is fine for colds.”