“What else? Oh! claret, and port, and sherry wine. And beer and spirits for them that prefers 'em!”
“All that with their dinners?”
“Rather! I should think they did. The whole lot, one after the other!”
“What! Beer and brandy and sherry wine?” Arabella's incredulity was disagreeably apparent.
“Yes, everything you can think of; but look here, if you don't want to believe me, you needn't, you know!” said Missy, turning as red as her fringe as she stared the other girl full in the eyes across the supper-table. In the awkward pause following John William turned and glared furiously at his sister; but it was their father who cleared the air by saying mildly:
“Arabella, my dear, I'm afraid you don't know a joke when you hear one.”
Then Arabella coloured in her turn.
“Do you mean to say you were joking, Missy?” she leant forward to ask; as though she could no more believe this than recent statements.
But Missy had given one quick glance at Mr.
Teesdale, and then, with a little gasp, had burst into an immoderate fit of laughter.