the chin, so that she bit her tongue with a
violence which was really painful. This done, he plunged both hands
into his pockets and danced a hornpipe on the hearthrug, while the girls
abused him at the pitch of their voices.

"Raymond Bertrand, you are the most horrid, ungentlemanly, nasty, rude
boy I ever knew!"

"If you were older you'd be ashamed of yourself. It is only because you
are a stupid, ignorant little schoolboy that you think it funny to be
unkind to girls."

"Very well, then! You have given me all my work to do over again; now I
won't make toffee this afternoon, as I promised!"

"I don't want your old toffee. I can buy toffee in the village if I
want it," retorted Raymond cheerfully. "Besides, I'm going out to
toboggan with Bob, and I shan't be home until dark. You girls will have
to go and amuse Freer. He is up, and wants something to do. I'm not
going to stay indoors on a jolly afternoon to talk to the fellow, so
you'll have to do it instead."

"Indeed, we'll do nothing of the kind; we have our work to do, and it is
bad enough to have two tiresome boys on our hands without looking after
a third. He is your friend, and if you won't amuse him, he will have to
stay by himself."

"All right! Nice, hospitable people you are! Leave him alone to be as
dull as he likes--it's no matter to me. I told him that you would look
after him, so the responsibility is off my shoulders." Raymond paused,
pointed in a meaning manner towards a curtained doorway at the end of
the room, tiptoed up to the table, and finished his reply in a tragic
whisper. "And I've settled him on the couch in the drawing-room, so you
had better not speak so loudly, because he can hear every word you say!"

With this parting shot, Mr Raymond took his departure, banging the door
after him, while his sisters sat paralysed, staring at each other with
distended eyes.

"How awful! What _must_ he think? We can't leave him alone after this.
Hilary, you are the eldest, go and talk to him."

"I won't--I don't know what to say. Norah, you go! Perhaps he is
musical. You can play to him on your violin!"

"Thank you, very much. I'll do nothing of the kind. Lettice, you go;
you are not shy. Talk to him prettily, and show him the photographs."

"I daren't; I am horribly shy. I wouldn't go into that room now, after
what he has heard, for fifty thousand pounds!"

"Norah, look here, if you will go and sit with him until four o