‘That leaves me,’ she said. ‘I don’t want to be married, as I told you before. But if you’ll beg my dear spider’s pardon, and he says there’s room for you on the tuffet, I’ll forgive you, and you may sleep in the bathing-machine. There! And you can ride the stuffed horse whenever you like.’
The registrar had been drawing pictures of David on the blotting-paper.
‘When I have counted ten,’ he said. ‘You’ve got to choose. If you don’t, I shall choose for you. What’s that?’ he added, looking up at the window.
A large mild face was pressed against the glass, and there was the cow outside, moving her mouth round and round, and breathing so heavily against the window that it was almost impossible to see out. Then the glass gave way under the pressure of her nose, and she put her head into the room.
‘Moo! Put my name down,’ she said. ‘I’m incognito, so call me a porter.’
‘You’re too late for this morning,’ said Noah.
‘No, I’m not,’ said the cow.
‘You are,’ said Noah angrily. ‘Don’t interrupt. One—two—three—four——’
The cow breathed heavily into the room.
‘Why, it’s the boy who went Anywhere,’ she said, seeing David. ‘I never thought the express called here, dearie.’