“Well, I jus’ listened, din’ I?” said William rather indignantly. “I din’ interrupt ’cept when I couldn’t hear or couldn’t understand. There’s nothing wrong with jus’ listenin’, is there?”
“But we didn’t want you,” said Ethel furiously.
“Oh ... that!” said William. “Well, I can’t help people not wanting me, can I? That’s not my fault.”
Interest in Saint Valentine’s Day seemed to have infected the whole household. On February 13th William came upon his brother Robert wrapping up a large box of chocolates.
“What’s that?” said William.
“A Valentine,” said Robert shortly.
“Well, Miss Lomas said it was a dead Saint, and Mother said it was a pasted fern, an’ now you start sayin’ it’s a box of chocolates! No one seems to know what it is. Who’s it for, anyway?”
“Doreen Dobson,” said Robert, answering without thinking and with a glorifying blush.
“Oh, I say!” said William indignantly. “You can’t. I’ve bagged her. I’m going to do a fern for her. I’ve had her ever since the Bible Class.”
“Shut up and get out,” said Robert.