“This is a very good kind,” she said, picking out a blue one marked (extra fine); “the price is only fourpence halfpenny. The sixpenny ones are all sold. I have them as low as a penny each, though I don’t usually recommend them. Some people, however, who think that even a bad excuse is better than none, buy them.”
“‘THIS IS A VERY GOOD KIND,’ SHE SAID.”
The Wallypug said he would have the one marked fourpence halfpenny, and, after a struggle, drew his handkerchief out of his pocket with eighteenpence all in coppers tied up in one corner of it. Solemnly counting out fivepence, he waited for the change, and then carefully tying it up in his handkerchief, which he put back into his pocket, he handed Girlie the Excuse with a low bow, politely begging her to accept it as a little present.
Girlie thanked him and began to undo the package, which she found contained a sheet of foolscap paper with the following words beautifully written on it:—
“EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING FOUND OUT
WHAT A GOO IS.
“For thirteen months and sixteen days
I’ve tried in sundry sort of ways
To find out what a Goo is.