He heard Mary's voice in his ear.
“And after that they all ate chocolates with white cream and red cream, and they sucked it off pins, and there were hard bits and soft bits, and the Princess (she was a frog now. You remember, don't you, Jeremy? The witch turned her) hotted the oven like cook has, with black doors, and hotted it and hotted it, but suddenly there was a noise—”
And, on the other side, the Jampot's voice: “You naughty boy, stoppin' 'ere for everyone to see, just because it's your birthday, which I wish there wasn't no birthdays, nor there wouldn't be if I had my way.”
Jeremy turned from Mr. Thompson's window, a scornful smile on his face:
“I'm bigger'n you, Nurse,” he said. “If I said out loud, 'I won't go,' I wouldn't go, and no one could make me.”
“Well, come along, then,” said Nurse.
“Don't be so stupid, Jerry,” said Helen calmly. “If a policeman came and said you had to go home you'd have to go.”
“No I wouldn't,” said Jeremy.
“Then they'd put you in prison.”
“They could.”