“Everybody’s rushed to death,” grumbled Hinpoha.
I went off to keep my appointment and Hinpoha took up her watch for a passer-by whom she could bully into painting a blue band on her neck. Being part of the surprise for the guests she couldn’t very well go out and risk being seen; she just had to stay in the room and wait for someone from our floor to come along. For a long while nobody came, and then, when she was about ready to give up, she did hear footsteps coming down the corridor. It was dark by that time and she couldn’t see who it was, but she pounced out like a cat on a mouse and dragged the girl into her room.
“Paint a blue band on my neck, quick!” she commanded, thrusting out the paint box and switching on the light.
Then she saw who it was. It was Sally Prindle. Hinpoha was a little taken aback, but she had about exhausted her patience waiting for someone to come by and help her.
“Will you, please?” she pleaded, holding out the paints enticingly.
“What is it?” asked Sally dully, looking at Hinpoha in that crazy costume as if she thought she was not in her right mind.
Hinpoha explained the urgent and immediate need of a blue band of a certain shade on her neck.
“But I never painted anything before,” objected Sally.
“You’ll never learn any younger,” said Hinpoha, jubilant that Sally hadn’t walked out with her nose in the air. “Here, take the brush, I’ll show you what to mix; see, this and this and this.”
Under Hinpoha’s direction Sally painted the blue band and then regarded her handiwork with critical eyes.