And it was, indeed, some time before he could be induced to say anything, and when he did it wasn't much. He said:—
“The only reason why I won't tell you my idea that I'm going to do is because it MAY be wrong, and I don't want to drag you into it.”
“Don't you do it if it's wrong, Peter,” said Bobbie; “let me do it.” But Phyllis said:—
“I should like to do wrong if YOU'RE going to!”
“No,” said Peter, rather touched by this devotion; “it's a forlorn hope, and I'm going to lead it. All I ask is that if Mother asks where I am, you won't blab.”
“We haven't got anything TO blab,” said Bobbie, indignantly.
“Oh, yes, you have!” said Peter, dropping horse-beans through his fingers. “I've trusted you to the death. You know I'm going to do a lone adventure—and some people might think it wrong—I don't. And if Mother asks where I am, say I'm playing at mines.”
“What sort of mines?”
“You just say mines.”
“You might tell US, Pete.”