Page:Comin' Thro' the Rye (1898).djvu/103

Rh and as—oh, wonder!—I actually possess a sixpence, we indulge in one bun each, one sponge-cake each, and a pennyworth apiece of bull's-eyes. Delicious! We are thirsty, but lemonade is beyond us, so we drink water unthankfully. (Why does every one take kindly to adulterated and manufactured drinks, and turn away disdainfully from the only pure liquid the world contains ) and then take a comfortable little trot round the town, glueing our noses to shop windows; pausing to look at the omnibus starting for the railway station; helping to pick up an unfortunate pair of twins who have been rolled out of their perambulator by an elder sister, aged seven years; standing still to watch a man walking round and round his horse in the vain effort to mount it; diving into a chemist's shop to get out of the way of old Mr. Tempest; feeling, in short, very dissipated, very happy, and intensely, grandly independent. Eleven o'clock is striking as we reach the Parade, and at the far end is George. Seeing us, he steps out briskly, and in another two minutes we are shaking hands and laughing over the success of our undertaking.

"We must be very quick, though," I say, "for some unlucky spirit may put it into his head to ask for us, and then"

"How do you do, Miss Adair?" asks a voice behind me. Turning, I see Bobbie Silver and two or three other young fellows, friends of Jack.

"How do you do?" I say, rather chapfallen: they will see Jack presently, and tell him they saw me down here alone. Oh, the ways of disobedience are very crooked!

"And where is the duenna?" asks Bobbie.

I am opening my mouth to answer him, when in the distance I espy Balaam's Ass bearing down upon us with a portentous mien that betokens some deadly tidings. The words I am about to speak die on my lips; my open mouth remains open; my widening eyes