“A picnic?” Mrs. Weston said, bewildered. “What, all by yourselves?”
“Well, there’s no one to go with us,” Billy said. “The Lawrences are coming out to play tennis, and we can’t play when big people are there. You know it’s always a case of picking the balls up, for Rex and me, and a bit of extra cake is all we get out of it! And we’d love a ride. Couldn’t we take some lunch and go out? It would be no end of fun.”
“But is Rex safe? You know, he has never gone far without Father.”
“Oh, abso-lutely!” said Billy, with evident pride in the long word. “He really rides quite decently now, don’t you, Rexona?”
“I’ll give you a hiding if you call me that,” stated his guest.
“Sorry—it was a slip,” Billy said, grinning. “Forgot you didn’t like soap. But he can ride all right, Mother; Father says so. And we’d be awfully careful, and keep our weather-eye out for snakes, and all that sort of thing. Anyhow, the ground’s so bare you can see a snake half a mile off. Oh, do let’s go!”
“What do you say, girls?” Mrs. Weston asked.
“I don’t think they could damage themselves, do you, Jean?” Jo asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” her twin answered. “They’re really quite safe, if they promise to be sensible. I’d rather you didn’t jump, Rex, when you’re by yourselves.”
“All right, I won’t,” Rex promised eagerly.