"Certainly not! Anybody can marry a man after he asks her. The thing to do, if you want to be really original and interesting, is to marry him before he asks you and surprise him."
"Yes," agreed Lark, "if you wait until he asks you he's likely to think it over once too often and not ask you at all."
"Doesn't that sound exactly like a book, now?" demanded Carol proudly. "Fairy couldn't have said that!"
"No," said Fairy, "I couldn't. Thank goodness!—I have what is commonly known as brains. Look it up in the dictionary, twins. It's something you ought to know about."
"Oh, Prudence," cried Lark dramatically, "I forgot to tell you. You can't get married after all."
For ten seconds Prudence, as well as Fairy and their aunt, stared in speechless amazement. Then Prudence smiled.
"Oh, can't I? What's the joke now?"
"Joke! It's no joke. Carol's sick, that's what's the joke. You can't be married without Carol, can you?"
A burst of gay laughter greeted this announcement.
"Carol sick! She acts sick!"