and it was his duty to take care of her and not allow her to make a
mistake that might ruin her life, and he wouldn't let her hurry into
a thing she couldn't get out of, and a lot more. Peg said that forty
wasn't old, and he was young enough for her, and she was certain,
CERTAIN--I don't know what she was certain of, but she was horribly
obstinate about it.

And then Dr. Denbigh said: "If I only dared let you, dear--if I only
dared."

And something about if she felt the same in two years, or a year, or
something--I can't remember all that truck--and they said the same thing
over a lot. I heard him murmur:

"Call me Jack, just once."

And she murmured back, as if it was a stunt, "Jack"--and then rustlings.
I'd call him Jack all the afternoon if he liked.

Then, after another of those still games, Peggy said, "Ow!" as if
somebody'd pinched her, and that seemed such a queer remark that I stood
up to see what they were up to. Getting to my feet I swung the line
around and the bait flopped up the bank and hit Peg square in the
mouth--I give you my word I didn't mean to, but it was awfully funny!
My! didn't she squeal bloody murder? That's what makes a person despise
Peggy. She's no sort of sport. Another time I remember I had some worms
in an envelope, and I happened to feel them in my pocket, so I pulled
out one and slid it down the back of her neck, and you'd have thought
I'd done something awful. She yelped and wriggled and cried--she
did--she actually cried. And you wouldn't believe what she finished up
by doing--she went and took a bath! A whole bath--when she didn't have
to! She can't see a joke at all. Now Alice is a horrid meddler--she and
Maria. Yet Alice is a sport, and takes her medicine. I've seen that girl
with a beetle in her hair, which I put there, keep her teeth shut and
not make a sound--only a low gurgle--until she'd got him and slung him
out of the window. Then she lammed me, I tell you--I respected her for
it too--but she couldn't now, I'm stronger.

Oh, golly! Lorraine will cut down the cookies if I don't tell what
happened. I don't exactly know what was next, but Dr. Denbigh somehow
had me by the collar and gave me a yank, like a big dog does a little
one.

"See here, you young limb," he said, "I'm--I'm going to--" and then he
suddenly stopped and looked at Peggy and began to chuckle, and Peggy
laughed and turned lobster color, and put her face in her hands and just
howled.

Of course I grin