He thinks the mother ought to kiss Red Riding Hood before she starts. I think not. We asked Cissy. He says it's optional.... Cissy rose with the owl to-day, and said he was not well. A little later he came and told us complacently that he had been looking it up in the Encyclopedia, and found he had "every symptom of acute lead-poisoning." He added that there was nothing to be done.
"I thought there was something wrong with you yesterday," said Baby. "You declined all nourishment between lunch and tea."
"By the way," said Cissy, pretending not to hear, "Mashington really is not quite light enough for the Mother. You should persuade him to go through a course, Miss Gladys."
"He's just been through a course," I said, "at Hythe."
"My dear lady, I don't mean musketry. He ought to consult Castle Jones, the specialist. No soup, no bread, no potatoes—saccharine. What are you allowed?" turning to Baby, who was sitting on a window seat eating marrons-glacés out of a paper-bag.
This sight seemed to infuriate our manager. He made a wild dart at Baby, saying, "Oh, look at this; it's fatal, positively fatal!" snatched violently at the bag, secured a chestnut, and calmly walked out of the room eating it and saying it was delicious.
I had just come home from a very nice drive with Jack—I mean Captain Mashington—when I found a letter from Oriel. He says he is engaged to Miss Toogood. The matter is to be kept a profound secret for the present.... He asks me, for the sake of the past, to try and get him a stamp of the Straits Settlements, in exchange for a Mauritian.... She collects stamps too—it must have been the bond of union.... How fickle men are! It's enough to disgust one with human nature. I know I broke it off, but still——
Ever your loving friend, Gladys.
I wonder if Miss Toogood will have a bangle. I should like to advise her not to have it rivetted on. It's such a bother getting them filed off.