“Oh dear, oh dear!” wailed the poor girl and dropped into Mr. Withersquashes bosom [54] ]for comfort, all the pride had gone out of her now.
“It’s a pity she isnt a sporty girl,” muttered Rupert half to himself for he had taken a liking to his humbel friends and could not bear to see her weep.
“What did you say?” shreiked Selia darting like an asp from Mr. Withersquashes embrace. “A sporty girl? Me? Who says I’m not? Aint I got the challenge cup for the Hoxton tennis club three years running? Aint I the best roller skatist they ever seen at Holland Park? Say I’m not sporty?”
“Tennis?” yelled Gerald and Rupert together, till one of the vanished housemaids put her head round the door thinking she was wanted.
“Yes” yelled back Selia, “and why not?”
“Hurrah! Hurrah!” the two lordly brothers cried. “That’s a good girl! You’ll be the success of the season if your pashent” [55] ]and then chatter chatter they went making plans for Selia’s springing her talents on the smart world, which would make it possible for Mr. Withersq to wed her without her getting the cold shoulder as a matron.
It was settled at last that the brothers should arrange for her first appearance.
“Very well” said Selia, “thank you. You may rely on me to do my best. Come on Harold we must go to the shops.”
“Goodbye dear friends” said Gerald rising very elegantly to lead them to the door “and thank you for coming. Mind and brush up your sports now Miss Selia and get some suitable raiment for the great day and we will shew them the stuff you are made of.”
“Very good” said Selia at the door, “and you see if we dont make a splash in socierty with a vengeance.” With these words she and Mr. Withersq went off and that is all that happened there.