“Oh, how scrumptious!” I cried. I felt just in the humour.
“And we can be as noisy as ever we like,” said Charley.
“Only we won’t do anything to hurt your feelings, Miss Rachel,” said Von Marlo.
“The main thing of all is,” said Charley, “that Hannah isn’t to know.”
“Oh, we can easily manage that,” I said. “She won’t come upstairs unless we ring for her. She never does.”
“I’ve taken precious good care that she doesn’t come upstairs,” said Alex, “for I’ve locked the door at the top of the kitchen stairs;” and he produced the key in triumph from his pocket.
“Oh Alex, suppose by any sort of manner or means she wanted to come! Why, she would never forgive us.”
“Serve her right. She won’t answer our rings of late, so now we’ll keep her downstairs in that sweet spot in which she so loves to dwell.”
“But,” I said, “our dinner?”
“Oh, here it is—a mutton bone, barer than usual, and a few potatoes. I thought we’d have a real feast. Did father give you any of the needful when he was going away to-day, Dumps?”