“No. What is it?” inquired the others eagerly.
“Ah! wouldn’t you like to know?” exclaimed the Doctor-in-Law. “How much will you give me for telling you?”
“How much do you want?” asked the Rhymester dubiously.
“A penny each,” was the reply.
“Come on then, let’s have it,” said the Rhymester, collecting the pennies from the others and handing them to the Doctor-in-Law.
“Why—er—er—Queen Anne is dead, and the Dutch have taken Holland—yah!” And the little man burst out laughing.
“Oh! I say, that’s too bad,” grumbled the Wallypug. “Isn’t it now?” he cried, appealing to me.
“Well, really,” I replied, “you shouldn’t be so silly as to give him money. You ought to know by this time what to expect from him.”
“No, but truly,” said the Doctor-in-Law, pulling a serious face, “I have got some news, the other was only my fun. A lady is going to call on us at eleven, to interview the Wallypug. I had almost forgotten it.”
“A lady!” I exclaimed. “Whoever do you mean?”