"'John, you are too bad,' said Minnie, laying her head down as an extra protection."
p. 180.
So he laid hold of one of the long golden curls which fell over the treasures, and went on while he twisted it round his fingers—
"And here's a pair of scissors, and here's the inside of the matchbox, and here's—why, here are at least a dozen babies!"
What with her hair being touched, which she particularly disliked, and what with her secret being found out, as she thought, Minnie burst into tears.
"Hey-day!" said John. "Why, Minnie, you goose, I wasn't really meaning to tease you. Look here, I'll sit still here for as long as you like, and shut my eyes up as close as a mole (if they do), while you put all that precious rubbish away; and what's more, I won't tell a soul about it; no, not if I—suffer for it."
Minnie looked up through her tears to see if John were in earnest, and found him sitting, as he said, with his eyes shut and his hands folded in front of him in a comical manner.
She gave a little laugh, and raised her head; but added, with the remains of a sob, "You're a dreadful tease, John, and I did want nobody to know."
"Nobody to know," echoed John, in a mock tone; "is that a pun?"