“No, ma’m,” replied Timothy, promptly. “Where have you come from?” he asked Jack suddenly.
“We’ve just come from the Goblin’s Heath,” replied Jack; and at Timothy’s eager request to be told about their adventures, Jack started to tell him about their search. Timothy appeared to listen intently, until presently his aunt got up and went out of the room to prepare the bedrooms. Immediately he leant across the table and interrupted.
“Here!” he exclaimed suddenly.
Jack stopped speaking, and stared at Timothy, who was obviously in a very excited state.
“Here, I thay! What do you thig?” said Timothy.
“What? What is it? What’s the matter?” asked Jack.
“I theen it,” said Timothy, and exploded with laughter.
Jack and Molly exchanged bewildered glances, while Timothy rolled and rocked in his chair with laughter till the tears ran down his fat white cheeks. He continued to gasp and laugh until Molly grew quite concerned about him, and jumping off her chair she ran to the door to call his aunt. This sobered him immediately and he sprang up waving his hand to stop her.
“Don’t, don’t,” he managed to gasp. “I alwayth laugh when ... he! he! he!... when I exthited ... don’t call aunt ... I tell you ... he! he! he! he!... in a minute.”
When he had quieted down a bit he said: