Arthur smiled steadily and shook his head.
"I'm too happy to be afraid of anything."
"I'm not. The happier I feel the more frightened I feel. And I can feel your sisters picking me all to pieces, and saying what a horrid little thing I am!"
"Little? Haven't I told you that you are exactly the right size?"
"No, you haven't."
"Then I tell you now. I leave it to Andrea. Isn't she exactly the right size, Andrea?"
"Then mamma is too tall."
"No, mamma is exactly the right size for a mamma. In fact, Andrea," exulted Arthur, "on this particular morning of this particular year of grace everything in the world is exactly the right size, except me. I'm not half big enough to contain my feelings. So here goes!"
And the sedate Arthur put back his head, which resembled that of the young Galahad, and opened his mouth, and let forth the most blood-curdling war-whoop that has been sounded during the Christian era.