There was a murmur of relief at the suggestion. William merely scowled at them. He was wondering how soon and on what pretext he could escape to the woods. He felt that he had exhausted the powers of entertainment of the present position but he did not wish to miss the tea.
"We will not discuss the matter in the hearing of the child," said Mr. Mugg.
"But he doesn't speak English," put in the old lady.
"He may understand it," said Mr. Mugg with dignity. "Let us—er—discuss the matter over the—er—cup that cheers but not inebriates—ahem!"
Rather bewildered and looking back suspiciously at the inscrutable William, the company moved indoors. The old lady soon appeared with a heavily-laden tray which she placed in front of William. She seemed about to make some kind remark, but meeting William's implacable frown, retired hastily.
"He's certainly beginning to look very annoyed," she announced excitedly in the drawing-room.
"It is——" began the small shrill voice, then stopped abruptly.
It was just as William was consuming the last of a large plate of cakes that he noticed a couple of figures coming towards the house. One was a clergyman. The other was a boy about William's age, rather more swarthy than the average boy, and clad in an ordinary grey flannel suit. Nobody knew exactly what happened then. Certainly on that occasion William was not the aggressor. The newcomer may have disliked the look of William with his now streaky face and curious costume, he may have been hungry and found the sight of William, devouring the last cake, unbearable, he may simply have been feeling the heat. The fact remains that he hurled himself upon William with the agility of a wild cat, and William in sheer panic rushed through the open French window into the drawing-room, followed by his antagonist. The two of them charged through the crowded room. They left in their wake Mr. Theophilus Mugg sitting upon a dish of cakes upon the floor, the Vicar's wife soaked in hot tea, the old lady mixed up with the fragments of a Venetian vase, and the parent of the child beneath the grand piano. Once outside the front door William doubled, threw off his pursuer and made for the woods.
IN SHEER PANIC WILLIAM RUSHED THROUGH THE OPEN
FRENCH WINDOW INTO THE DRAWING-ROOM, FOLLOWED
BY HIS ANTAGONIST.