"William, where are you?" called the voice impatiently.
The tone goaded William into reply.
"I'm somewhere where you can't find me," he called.
"You're in the stable," said the voice triumphantly.
"Seems as if folks simply couldn't leave me alone," said William wistfully, as he removed his fern-pot and fur rug and walked with slow dignity into the house.
"Wash yourself first, William," said the obnoxious voice.
"I am washed," returned William coldly, as he entered the dining-room, forgetting the presence of a smudgy, corked moustache upon lips and cheeks.
******
It was an unfortunate afternoon as far as the prospects of a large audience were concerned. Most of the adults of the place were going to listen to the Great Man. Most of the juveniles were going to watch a football match. Moreover, the caste, with the instincts of the very young, had shrouded the enterprise so deeply in mystery in order to enjoy the sensation of superiority, that they had omitted to mention either the exact nature of the enterprise or the time at which it would take place.
On the side-gate was pinned a notice: