“Cut it off,” he said, temptingly, “you’ve got lissors.”
There is no doubt whatever that in the [p124] circumstances Mrs. Lomax herself would have promptly given the much-desired article.
But Miss Bibby had established herself as anxious caretaker of the household chattels as well as children.
“Oh, darling!” she said, “I couldn’t possibly. Mamma’s pretty tie-back to trail in the dust!”
“I wouldn’t lail it on the paths, only on the lass,” said Max.
But Miss Bibby still shook her head, and Max began to work up from low down in his breast another howl.
Then Miss Bibby had a brilliant notion. She caught sight of a length of rope hanging on the verandah post, relic of a hammock that had gone the way of most hammocks.
“Where is a knife?” she said, “and run and get me a comb, Max.”
In five minutes she had half a yard of the excellent material beautifully unravelled, and Max was crazy with pride and eagerness to burst out upon the envious gaze of his sisters thus caparisoned.
He could hardly wait for the realistic affair to be fastened firmly to his belt, but kept saying, “be quick, be quick, Miss Bibby.”