Newnham.

"Now, just let me hear you decline 'amo'--I love," Johnnie demanded.

"No, Johnnie, no Greek at meal-times," said Joan, overhearing him
instantly. "She's up at all hours of the night over her books, Miss
Hilbery, and I'm sure that's not the way to pass examinations," she went
on, smiling at Katharine, with the worried humorous smile of the elder
sister whose younger brothers and sisters have become almost like
children of her own.

"Joan, you don't really think that 'amo' is Greek?" Ralph

asked.

"Did I say Greek? Well, never mind. No dead languages at tea-time. My
dear boy, don't trouble to make me any toast--"

"Or if you do, surely there's the toasting-fork somewhere?" said Mrs.
Denham, still cherishing the belief that the bread-knife could be
spoilt. "Do one of you ring and ask for one," she said, without any
conviction that she would be obeyed. "But is Ann coming to be with Uncle
Joseph?" she continued. "If so, surely they had better send Amy to
us--" and in the mysterious delight of learning further details of these
arrangements, and suggesting more sensible plans of her own, which, from
the aggrieved way in which she spoke, she did not seem to expect any one
to adopt, Mrs. Denham completely forgot the presence of a well-dressed
visitor, who had to be informed about the amenities of Highgate. As soon
as Joan had taken her seat, an argument had sprung up on either side of
Katharine, as to whether the Salvation Army has any right to play hymns
at street corners on Sunday mornings, thereby making it impossible for
James to have his sleep out, and tampering with the rights of individual
liberty.

"You see, James likes to lie in bed and sleep like a hog," said Johnnie,
explaining himself to Katharine, whereupon James fired up and, making
her his goal, also exclaimed:

"Because Sundays are my one chance in the week of having my sleep out.
Johnnie messes with stinking chemicals in the pantry--"

They appealed to her, and she forgot her cake and began to laugh and
talk and argue with sudden animation. The large family seemed to her
so warm and various that she forgot to censure them for their taste in
pottery. But the personal question between James and Johnnie merged into
some argument already, apparently, debated, so that the parts had
been distributed among the family, in which Ralph took the lead; and
Katharine found herself opposed to him and the champion of Johnnie's
cause, who, it appeared, al