“I’m in condition to be all of that,” says I. “Are you plannin’ to try the——”
“I am going to help you to banish the imaginary pains, Mr. McCabe,” says she. “Now first you must repeat after me the summum bonum.”
“Eh?” says I.
“It’s very simple,” says she, floppin’ down on the cushions alongside and reachin’ out for one of my hands. “It begins this way, ‘I am a child of light and goodness.’ Now say that.”
Say, how would you duck a proposition of that kind? There was Violet, with her big eyes rolled at me real pleadin’, and her mouth puckered up real cunning, and the soft, clingin’ grip on my right paw. Well, I says it over.
“That’s it!” she purrs. “Now, ‘Evil and fear and pain are the creatures of darkness.’ Go on!”
“Sure thing!” says I. “‘Evil and fear and——Ouch!”
Ever feel one of them last gasps that a nerve gives when it goes out of business? I thought the top of my head was comin’ off. But it didn’t, and a couple of seconds later I knew the jumpin’ was all over; so I straightens my face out, and we proceeds with the catechism.
It was a bird, too. I didn’t mind doin’ it at all with Miss Lee there to help; for, in spite of her loppy ways, she’s more or less of a candy girl. There was a good deal to it, and it all means the same as what Toodle was tryin’ to hand out; but now that the ache has quit I’m ready for any kind of foolishness.
Violet had got to the point where she has snuggled up nice and close, with one hand still grippin’ mine and the other smoothin’ out my jaw while she told me again how pain was only a pipe dream,—when I glances over her shoulder and sees Sadie floatin’ in hangin’ to Dr. Toodle’s arm.