CHAPTER VII
AND PRINGLE’S POND
Mrs. Dangerfield was indeed delighted with the stole, for she had an almost extravagant fondness for furs; and it was long since she had had any. She wondered how the Twins had saved and collected the money it had cost; she knew that it had not been drawn from the cats’ home fund, since the Terror had promised her that none of that money should be diverted from its proper purpose; and she was the more grateful to them for the thought and labor they must have devoted to acquiring it. On the whole she thought it wiser not to inquire how the money had been raised.
The Twins, as always, enjoyed an exceedingly pleasant Christmas. It was the one week in the year when Little Deeping flung off its quietude and gently rollicked. There was a dearth of children, young men and maidens among their Little Deeping friends; and the Twins and Wiggins were in request as the lighter element in the Christmas gatherings. Thanks to the Terror, the three of them took this brightening function with considerable seriousness: each of them learned by heart a humorous piece of literature, generally verse, for reciting; and they performed two charades in a very painstaking fashion. They had but little dramatic talent; but they derived a certain grave satisfaction from the discharge of this enlivening social duty; and their efforts were always well received.
It was, as usual, a green and muggy Christmas. The weather broke about the middle of January; and there came hard frosts and a heavy snow-storm. The Twins made a glorious forty-foot slide on the common in front of Colet House; and they constructed also an excellent toboggan on which they rushed down the hill into the village street. These were but light pleasures. They watched the ponds with the most careful interest; eager, should they bear, not to miss an hour’s skating. Wiggins shared their pleasures and their interest; and Mr. Carrington, meeting the Terror on his way to his lessons at the vicarage, drew from him a promise that he would not let his ardent son take any risk whatever.
The ice thickened slowly on the ponds; then came another hard frost; and the Twins made up their minds that it must surely bear. They ate their breakfast in a great excitement; and as the Terror gathered together his books for his morning’s work they made their plans.
He had strapped his books together; and as he caught up one of the two pairs of brightly polished skates that lay on the table, he said: “Then that’s settled. I’ll meet you at Pringle’s pond as soon after half past twelve as I can get there; but you’d better not go on it before I come.”
“Oh, it’ll bear all right; it nearly bore yesterday,” said Erebus impatiently.
“Well, Wiggins isn’t to go on it before I come. You’ll do as you like of course—as usual—and if you fall in, it’ll be your own lookout. But he’s to wait till I come. If the ice does bear, it won’t bear any too well; and I’m responsible for Wiggins. I promised Mr. Carrington to look after him,” said the Terror in tones of stern gravity.
Erebus tossed her head and said in a somewhat rebellious tone: “As if I couldn’t take care of him just as well as you. I’m as old as you.”
“Perhaps,” said the Terror doubtfully. “But you are a girl; there’s no getting over it; and it does make a difference.”