"Whatever for?"

"To divide it. John likes a place to himself; we want to make it into two rooms. It has two windows, and so we are going to make ourselves cosy."

"Oh, Hugh, I do not know of any curtain; I really think it will have to wait till mother comes."

"But we wanted to do it to-day. Don't you think you know of anything?"

She shook her head.

"Not an old table-cloth, or a couple of done-with window curtains?"

"I do not know in the least, and I should not like to search in mother's stores."

"She wouldn't mind."

"She might. Oh, Hugh dear, it must wait."

"Very well," answered Hugh, looking disappointed.