Robert was twice William’s size.
William shut up and got out.
******
The Lomas family was giving a party on Saint Valentine’s Day, and William had been invited with Robert and Ethel. William spent two hours on his Valentine. He could not find a fern, so he picked a large spray of yew-tree instead. There was no time to dry it, so he tried to affix it to paper as it was. At first he tried with a piece of note-paper and flour and water, but except for a generous coating of himself with the paste there was no result. The yew refused to yield to treatment. It was too strong and too large for its paper. Fortunately, however, he found a large piece of thick cardboard, about the size of a drawing-board, and a bottle of glue, in the cupboard of his father’s writing desk. It took the whole bottle of glue to fix the spray of yew-tree on to the cardboard, and the glue mingled freely with the flour and water on William’s clothing and person. Finally he surveyed his handiwork.
“Well, I don’ see much in it now it’s done,” he said, “but I’m jolly well going to do all the things they do do.”
He went to put on his overcoat to hide the ravages beneath, and met Mrs. Brown in the hall.
“Why are you wearing your coat, dear?” she said solicitously. “Are you feeling cold?”
“No. I’m just getting ready to go out to tea. That’s all,” said William.
“But you aren’t going out to tea for half an hour or so yet.”
“No, but you always say that I ought to start gettin’ ready in good time,” said William virtuously.