"Thank ye for promisin' to help me, Misther Jerry. But would ye mind very much if the BAD little somethin' had one more SPURT before I killed it altogether? Would ye?"
"Why, how do you mean?"
"Take me to that dance tonight—even without me aunt's permission, will ye? I'll never forget ye for it if ye will. An' it'll be the last wrong thing I'll ever do. I'm just burnin' all over at the thought of it. My heart's burstin' for it." She suddenly hummed a waltz refrain and whirled around the room, the incarnation of childish abandonment.
Mrs. Chichester came slowly down the stairs, gazing in horror at the little bouncing figure. As Peg whirled past the newel post she caught sight of her aunt. She stopped dead.
"What does this mean?" asked Mrs. Chichester angrily.
Peg crept away and sank down into a chair:
Jerry came to the rescue. He shook hands with Mrs. Chichester and said:
"I want you to do something that will make the child very happy. Will you allow her to go to a dance at the Assembly Rooms tonight?"
"Certainly not," replied Mrs. Chichester severely. "I am surprised at you for asking such a thing."
"I could have told ye what she'd say wurrd for wurrd!" muttered Peg.