"The little girl I found isn't such a bad Forsyth, after all?" he could not resist asking her, however. But Harkness, appearing at that moment, spared Mrs. Budge the unaccustomed humiliation of admitting she had been wrong.
After dinner Robin persuaded her guardian to walk with them to the village while they escorted "Mother Lynch" home, and then stop at the House of Laughter. There, Beryl lighted the lamps and Robin led a tour of inspection through the rooms, telling her guardian as they went, of her beautiful plans and their failure. At a warning sign from Beryl she regretfully left out the generous contribution of their mysterious Queen of Altruria. Most of the furniture, she explained, had come from the Manor garrets.
While they were talking a knock sounded at the door. Robin opened it to find Sophie Mack and three companions standing on the threshold.
"Mrs. Lynch said she thought you were up here," Sophie explained, awkwardly. "We're getting up a social club and we want to know if you'll let us meet here."
"Of course you can meet here!" Robin made no effort to control the surprise in her voice. "That's what this little house is for."
"Maybe you'll join, sometime. As an honorary member or something like that—" one of Sophie's companions broke in.
"Oh, I'd love to."
"We want to pay, you know," persisted Sophie.
"Of course—anything you—think you can."
The girls, refusing Robin's invitation to go into the cottage, turned and went back to the village. Robin closed the door and leaned against it with a long-drawn breath of delight.