“Quite welcome, Al. You are one sometimes.” Alison frowned, but his annoyance passed off as he saw success attend his aunt’s diving apparatus, for she made a successful plunge, brought out the dripping glasses, and began placidly to wipe them upon her napkin.
“The springs of these glasses do get so terribly weak,” she said, and then paused to raise her head, throw it back, and gaze plaintively up at a corner of the ceiling.
“Er—er—er—er—”
“What’s the matter, Auntie?” said Alison mockingly.
“Tchischew!—er—tischew!” she sneezed. “Oh, dear me, what a cold I have caught!”
“Be careful, then, not to put on damp spectacles, or you may make it worse,” said Mr Elthorne, smiling.
“You don’t think so, do you, Ralph?”
“No, Auntie; papa’s making fun of you.”
“You shouldn’t, Ralph; it really is too bad, and before the children, too. But I’m afraid I’m going to have a very bad cold. I wish Neil would make haste and come down.”
“What for?” said Mr Elthorne.