"Well," said Snorky as he stowed away the purchases and arranged the éclairs on the tea-table, "if we can keep him away from Doc Macnooder, there's going to be a few compensations."
"Nuisance will neither be affectionate nor familiar by this time to-morrow," said Skippy grinding his teeth.
"Cheese it! Hide the towels—here they come!"
A knock and then the voice of Hippo in flippant familiarity:
"All right, Skippy, we're good looking. Open up."
Skippy looked at Snorky and swallowed hard while his right arm worked convulsively.
"Come in," he said with an effort.
The door opened and Miss Potterman triumphantly entered his life. Mrs. Potterman was there and Hippo with his impertinent smirk but neither Skippy nor Snorky saw anything else but that wonderful vision. Something unbelievable had suddenly stepped out of their favorite Gibson picture and was advancing in a halo. Violets and daffodils began to sprout from the carpet and birds sang in the window frames. It was instantaneous and it was terrific.