"I know it isn't the right season for strawberries," said Mrs. Carstairs with a smile. "But these are some of our own, bottled by a famous method of Tochatti's. Do try them and give us your opinion."
Anstice complied; and found them excellent.
"They are delicious," he said, "and bring summer very close. Don't you like them?" he asked Cherry, who was demurely nibbling a macaroon.
"No thank you, my dear," replied Cherry gravely. "They give me a pain in my head."
"Oh, do they?" Anstice was nonplussed by this extraordinary assertion, the grounds for which were not borne out by such medical skill as he possessed; but chancing to look across the table at Iris Wayne he found her dimpling deliciously at his perplexity.
"You look puzzled, Dr. Anstice!" She laughed outright. "You see you don't understand how it happens that a pain in the head is connected with strawberries!"
"I don't," he said, "but if you will kindly explain——"
"May I, Cherry?" She looked at the child with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, and Cherry nodded.
"If you like, my dear. But I think it's rather a silly story."
Notwithstanding this expression of opinion Iris entered forthwith into an explanation.