"William!" said Mrs. Brown, who had moved over to the window, "who are those boys in the garden?"
William moistened his lips.
"Which boys?" he said, innocently, but with an expression of grim despair.
"There! By the hedge. They're pulling faces at you."
"Oh, those!" said William, as if seeing them for the first time. "Do you mean those?"
"Who are they, William?"
"Those boys?" said William slowly, to gain time. "Jus' frens of mine. That's all. Jus' frens of mine that was interested in gardens an' wanted to see——"
"But they're horrid, common, rough boys."
William gave a hollow laugh.
"Oh, no," he said. "They're not really. They only look like horrid, common, rough boys. They're dressed like horrid, common, rough boys. They——"