The day after Bernice’s party everybody went skating. A lake on the outskirts of Berwick obligingly froze itself over with a sufficient thickness of ice to be entirely safe. So the whole of the younger population put itself on runners.
The Fayres and Roses arrived early in the afternoon. Encased in warm sweaters and knit caps, they braved the cold, and were soon swaying along the glassy surface.
Dolly and Dotty had decided not to call it a skating party, but after they tired of the ice, to ask half a dozen or so to go back with them to Treasure House.
Later Bernice came, alone. She wore a new skating suit of green cloth, fur-trimmed, and a jaunty green cap with a red feather.
“There’s Bernice,” said Dolly quickly to Bert. “You must go and skate with her.”
“Won’t do it. I did my duty last night, and I’m tired of the game. Get somebody else.” Bert laughed good-naturedly, and skated off with Maisie May, who had not heard the colloquy of the brother and sister.
Now Bernice, by reason of her good time the night before, seemed to take it for granted that her star was in the ascendant. “Here I am!” she cried, gaily. “Who bids for the honour of the first skate with me?”
She couldn’t have chosen a worse speech. It was full of arrogance, and her condescending smile as she swung her skates in her hand, did not attract the boys who were present.
“Come on, Dotty,” said Joe Collins, “let’s skate off. I don’t want any Forbes in mine this afternoon.”
Dotty hesitated, for she had promised Dolly to help her, but Joe urged her away and the two skated off.