‘You have fulfilled your ideal better than falls to the lot of most people, even to the item of knighthood.’
‘Ah! you should have heard us grumble over the expense of it. And, after all, I dare say Sir Maurice found his knight’s fee quite as inconvenient! Oh!’ with a start, ‘there’s the first bell, and here have I been dawdling here instead of minding my business! But it is so nice to have you! I day, Jenny, we will have one of our good old games at threadpaper verses and all the rest tonight. I want you to show the children how we used to play at them.’
And the party played at paper games for nearly two hours that evening, to the extreme delight of Gillian, Mysie, and Harry, to say nothing of their mother and aunts, who played with all their might, even Aunt Adeline lighting up into droll, quiet humour. Only Dolores was first bewildered, then believed herself affronted, and soon gave up altogether, wondering that grown-up people could be so foolish.
CHAPTER VII. — G.F.S.
The first thought of Dolores was that she should see Constance Hacket, when she heard ‘Hurrah for a holiday!’ resounding over the house.
As she came out of her room Mysie met her. ‘Hurrah! Aunt Jane has got us a holiday that we may help get ready for the G.F.S.! Mamma has sent down notes to Miss Vincent and Mr. Pollock. Oh! jolly, jolly!’
And, obvious of past offences, Mysie caught her cousin’s arms, and whirled her round and round in an exulting dance, extremely unpleasant to so quiet a personage. ‘Don’t!’ she cried. ‘You hurt! You make me dizzy!’
‘My certie, Miss Mysie!’ exclaimed Mrs. Halfpenny at the same time, ‘ye’re daft! Gae doon canny, and keep your apron on, for if I see a stain on that clean dress—’
Mysie hopped downstairs without waiting to hear the terrible consequences.’