"Oh, do, Val ... do, mother ... do ... do...."
Bran made a diversion by bursting in, bright of eye, his fair hair wild, a strong scent of puppy dog about him, for he had been amusing himself with a litter of terriers bred by pére Duval.
He was introduced to the company, but his news would hardly keep until the ceremony was over.
"Mammie! At last I 've found out the difference between boy puppies and girl puppies. The boys----"
"Go and wash your hands for tea, darling."
"But, Mammie, the boys--
"Yes, I know, Bran, go now and wash your----"
"The boys have blue eyes and the girls have brown ones," he shouted indignantly as, hurt and astonished at his mother's strange lack of interest in his latest discovery, he was being pushed from the room by Haidee. Val suddenly ran after him and hugged him, and every one exploded into laughter.
Val and Harriott found themselves almost mesmerised into giving half-promises to let the girls go sailing, but after the visitors were gone and the last echo of the Comtesse's little gay sky-high laugh had died away, they gazed at each other doubtfully. The mesmerism was wearing off.
"I don't think we ought to let them go," Mrs. Kesteven said.