There was a good deal of whispering between Emily and little Archie, and then the papers were folded up once more and passed round the table again.
"But when do we see what we've written?" asked Alex impatiently.
"Not till the end of the game, then we read them out. That's where the fun comes in," said Emily.
It was a long while before the papers were done, and most of the children found it very difficult to decide what he said to her, what she replied, and what the world said. But at last even Barbara, always lag-last, folded her slip, very grimy and thumb-marked, and put it with the others into Emily's apron.
"Now then," giggled the nursery-maid, "pull one out, Master Archie, and I'll see what it says."
Archie snatched at a paper, and they opened it.
"Listen!" said Emily.
"The Queen met Master Archie—whoever of you put the Queen?"
"Cedric!" cried the other children.
Cedric's loyalty to his Sovereign was a by-word in the nursery.