“The cake’s not so bad—there’s several lumps not a bit stale,” said Ashby.
“If you like cocoa-nut,” said Fisher minor, “my brother’s lent us one, and I’ll cut you a chunk.”
“And there’s some grapes for you, when you’re ready,” said Percy, proudly; “a present from a lady.”
The awkward thing was that, in their eagerness to see their guest eat, none of the juniors took anything. They continued to pile up the good man’s plate till he didn’t know where to begin, and fairly bewildered him by each commending the excellence of his own particular delicacy “Thank’ee, young gents. I ain’t much of a eater when I’m away from home; no more ain’t my Alf. But I’ll take a snack, anyhow.”
Whereupon, to their delight, he commenced an onslaught on the viands before him, every morsel he ate being followed by eighteen admiring eyes into his mouth. He made short work of the Abernethys and cake, tossed off the tea as if it were a thimbleful, jerked down the hunk of cocoa-nut, gulped the grapes, and generally gave the spectators an admirable and comprehensive performance.
They were charmed. So much so, that out of sheer pleasure they began to eat too. The meal, if brief, was a merry one. Mr Rollitt took a special fancy to the Abernethys—a choice which of course put the shop-directors in an ecstasy. They only reproached themselves that they had not provided twelve instead of six.
At length, partly because there was nothing left but lukewarm water and the toughest crusts of the cake, and partly because the guest’s appetite was beginning to flag, the solid portion of the meal came to an end, and the social began.
After sundry nudgings and whisperings and signals among the juniors, Wally filled up his cup with warm water and rose to his feet.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “I—you know—that is—shut up, young Cash, unless you want to do it—instead of me—it’s this way, you see, you chaps: I sort of think we ought to drink the health of Rollitt’s governor. He’s a good old sort, and we’re backing up old Rollitt. It wasn’t a very grand spread. There’d have been some sardines if you’d come last week; but that greedy pig D’Arcy—”
“Go on; it was you finished them, three in two gulps,” protested the outraged D’Arcy.