The Guardsman cast one glance at the chauffeur and footmen, who waited with perfectly blank, impassive faces. Aline rushed in where Freddy dared to tread....
“No, darling, Daddy’s an English Guardsman,” she interpolated. “Yes, you can drive on, Giles. I will walk. Now, darlings, tell me all you have been doing since Mummie went away.”
“First we had tea,” began Bertie, “and then Freddy was sick——”
“No, I wasn’t,” screamed Freddy. “I was sick first, and had tea afterwards. Have you had tea, Mummie?”
“Yes, my darling, but I wasn’t sick. What were you sick about?”
“About cherries,” said Freddy promptly. “And then I was quite well again and had tea. May we play horses? May you or Daddy be my horses?”
She took Hermann’s arm, who began prancing in the most equine manner.
“Yes: here we go. But you mustn’t drive us too fast, liebster, because Mummie has just been shod with high-heeled shoes, and she can’t run as fast as usual.”
The two other boys insisted on being postillions, and thus loaded, the steeds soon had enough of their transmigration, and became human again.
“And you enjoyed your afternoon, heart’s dearest?” asked Hermann.