We were all silent for a few minutes, thinking of the same subject, the glories of the Christmas dinner which the other boys would enjoy. And the more we thought of it, the less we liked the cheerless prospect which was before us. I am afraid we were a set of greedy little fellows.
Suddenly, as I turned over my five shillings, or what was left of them, in my trousers’ pocket, a bright idea came into my mind.
“Why shouldn’t we get up a Christmas dinner for ourselves? I mean, buy a lot of things, and cook them at the school-room fire, and have a regular spread.”
“Oh, that would be jolly!” cried little Willy. “I have three shillings and sixpence. That would buy—let me see—forty-two apple tarts. No; I think I would rather buy eighty-four sponge biscuits.”
“Buy your grandmother!” said Jack, contemptuously. “If we go in for the thing at all, we must do it in regular style—get a goose or a turkey, or something of that sort. It’s not a bad idea. What do you say, Saunders?”
“I say it’s a splendid idea,” said Saunders, who hadn’t any money, and therefore felt free to pronounce a very decided opinion on the matter.
“But the Doctor won’t allow us to be cooking things in the school-room,” objected Howard.
“Then we’ll allow ourselves,” said Jack. “No fear of the Doctor shoving his nose into the business. He’ll be too busy guzzling in the parlour with Mrs. L. and the young Licks.”
“Oh, we can easily manage it,” said I. “I have about half-a-crown.”