It was Sunday, the last week of Horry's holidays. All through supper he had been talking about cycling to Cirencester if the frost held, to skate on the canal.
The frost did hold, and in the morning he strapped a cushion on the carrier of his bicycle and called up the stairs to Barbara.
"Come along, Barbara, let's go to Cirencester."
Barbara appeared, ready, carrying her skates. Mr. Waddington had let her off the Ramblings, yet, all of a sudden, she looked depressed.
"Oh, Horry," she said, "I was going with Ralph."
"You are not," said Horry. "You're always going with Ralph. You're jolly well coming with me this time."
"But I promised him."
"You'd no business to promise him, when it's the last week of my holidays. 'Tisn't fair."
Fanny came out into the hall.
"Horry," she said, "don't worry Barbara. Can't you see she wants to go with Ralph?"