"Fortunately for you I have not. Your veracity was at stake. It would have served you right if I had refused to resign the desired articles, after your putting an abrupt terminus to an absorbing topic, ingeniously introduced."
Such audacity in referring to the subject Adelina fondly thought she had brought to an ignominious end quite took away her breath.
"Yes," pursued Ralph reflectively, "that child is a genius; added to that is the perseverance requisite to complete success."
"Those two are incorrigible," murmured Adelina.
"No, we're not," objected the irrepressible Pet, "we're in chair. Tan't oo thee uth?" She had all of the child's impatience of incorrect statements.
Ralph shook with laughter at this naive utterance.
"I'm doin' home," said Pet, waiting, however, with the expectation of an invitation to remain.
As her elders vouchsafed no reply, she repeated the information, and slid off Ralph's knee.
Ralph who felt that he had probably gone far enough, simply expressed a desire to have her return very soon.