“No, that’s not it! A much finer word—un—un—unwitting!—that’s it, so it’s all the more proper that we should inquire. How far off is it? Could we meet and go together after school this afternoon?”
“It’s near enough, as far as that goes—one of those swagger flats in Prince’s Square. I suppose we could manage all right. Will you tell mother about it?”
“Not till we get back. I am sure she would think it very nice and kind of us, but she’d want me to put on best things, and worry about my hair. I wish I’d been born a savage! I do so loathe being bothered about clothes.”
“Never mind. No one would think to look at you that you ever bothered about them at all,” quoth Jack, with somewhat unflattering sympathy. “I’ll wait for you at the corner of Prince’s Square. I’m not going to meet all those sniggering girls if I know it.”
So it was arranged, and Jill swelled with importance for the rest of the day, longing for four o’clock to arrive, and set her free from her duties.
Pam went to the door with her sister after lunch, and stood shivering upon the top step while they exchanged farewells. She herself attended only the morning school, and was apt to find the afternoons rather lonely when the twins were out, and Betty was absorbed in her studies.
“Come back quickly,” she pleaded. “Do come back quickly, and ’muse me!” and Jill nodded a bright assent.
“I’ll amuse you finely—when I come!”
She pranced off, tossing back her hair, and swinging her satchel to and fro, while Pam looked after her with admiring envy. How lovely to be old like that—quite old—old enough to do your own hair, and walk to school by yourself! Pam heaved another sigh, and glanced wistfully up and down the Square—the look of a captive who longs to escape. A policeman was strolling along his beat. Emily and Hannah were taking their places in the old-fashioned barouche preparatory to starting on their afternoon amble. Just across the road old “All a-growing all a-blowing” was standing by his barrow, loudly urging a passer-by to purchase one of his plants.
Pam looked longingly at the branching palms as his guttural accents came to her ear—