"Well, Nell," he resumed, "how did you find out so quickly?"
"That gossoon," nodding at Denis. "I saw by his face. He never can keep anything in. And to think he knew! And let me waste my substance on a wicked fraud of a Ted!"
"I recognised him almost at once," observed Denis.
Nell's eye had grown suddenly absent, preoccupied with thoughts of something else. She rose and sidled, with what she thought deep artfulness, but which a child could have seen through, toward the artistic pillow-case. She had caught sight of the deep emerald green silk tie she was knitting for Ted sticking up in full view, gazing brazenly at Ted himself, she declared.
Fortunately he was engaged just then with the Atom, so saw nothing of Nell's transparent manoeuvring.
"Sure the very babies themselves," said Sheila Pat, earnestly, "speak it better than that!"
"Do they, Sheila Pat? How clever the Irish must be!"
"Of course they are," said Sheila Pat.
CHAPTER XIX
Christmas came with a rush in the end.