"Halt! Is thy servant without his proper complement of brains that thou giv'st him his directions twice over? Or is it as thy servant with humility suspects, merely to give exercise to the pendulum within thy coral lips?"
"Oh, hurry up!" Molly expostulated. "It's getting late!"
"I go to fetch the British Ted!" Denis vanished.
They found paper and pen, and Nell wrote, "Not to be looked into till the morning;" then they began to collect their various presents to Ted, and poke them well down in a foot-ball stocking of Denis's.
"Now for the trimmings!" said Nell. "The rattle—in you go! Farthing dolly. Packet of my toffee. Six little pink jube-jube mice. ABC bricks. India-rubber tailless donkey. Is that all?"
"Pin a piece of holly on to it, Nell," adjured the Atom.
"I can't find room for the donkey. Out you come, box of bricks—oh!"
Her gasp was echoed by two other voices. K.K. pattered across to the door, wagging her tail. There was a burst of smothered laughter; they all knew that rap on the door. Then Nell reached out impulsively and turned out the lamp. "Come in!"
Ted Lancaster stumbled into the room, which was lit only by the glow of a very small fire.
"Oh!" he ejaculated. "Am I in the way?"