"But, Peepy, this is most important."
One of the Dundoons, more alive to the position than the rest, hastily pushed his leader from the room. Already the other men had discreetly vanished.
"What are you doing?" Dundoon protested.
"Come out of it, you fool," whispered the man of tact. "Don't you see you're making it awkward for Peepy?"
"Awkward for Peepy?" said Dundoon very audibly. "Why is it awkward for Peepy?"
The Junior Prior went scarlet under Peter's dancing eyes.
"Your room seems to have suffered," he dimly smiled. "I must look to Dundoon," and he dived hastily into the passage. Peter heard a sharp scuffle. He saw, in his mind's eye, the embarrassed man of authority forcing his tactless crony from sight and hearing. He flung up his hands in glee.
The story did not lose in Peter's telling. Peter improved his description as the days went by. "Awkward for Peepy," passed into the language.
The Paggers, one and all, decided that it would be extremely awkward for Peepy if, after collapsing before Dundoon, he should ever again actively interfere with themselves.