really could not do
it. The whole place made me feel absolutely unwell.

"My uncle works hard and often feels tired," I remarked after a moment.

"You mustn't think we always enjoy ourselves like this. Here we are
quite children again, so very refreshing," but her interest in me had
gone. I had been given my opportunity and had not taken it. I should
have liked very much to see an interview between Mrs. Leigh-Tompkinson
in her "good works" mood and my uncle; it would have been a delightful
entertainment. But I am sure that he had never seen her when she was
taking her holidays, or I should have been left to play cricket and
fish with Fred.

In spite, however, of the facts that I was always trying to fulfil the
duties which were supposed to account for my presence, and that I liked
Dick far better than any one else in the house, I was for some time
most popular with Mrs. Leigh-Tompkinson. I was new, I suppose, for
what other reason there could have been for my popularity I cannot
imagine; but at any rate the reason is not worth guessing, for in a
brief ten minutes I managed to fall completely out of favour.

The way in which this happened was rather absurd, but it showed clearly
enough what an odd kind of woman Dick had for a mother. As a rule I
had to play billiards after dinner, but one evening there was somebody
staying in the house who persuaded Mrs. Leigh-Tompkinson to play round
games, and when I went into the drawing-room I discovered that
preparations had been made for this form of dissipation. Dick had been
allowed to come down to take part in them, and was walking round asking
everybody to begin at once; but my experience of round games is that
people are generally far more anxious to stop than to begin them. Each
person wanted to play a different game, for by this means I fervently
believe that they imagined they would get out of playing any at all. I
sat down while I had the chance, feeling sure that in a few minutes I
should be asked to go outside the door and stay there. I thought that
I knew every game of the kind, and when Dick had at last got a few
people to look like beginning, I was asked if I knew "it." I had no
idea that "it" meant anything out of the ordinary, and I said
unblushingly that I did, whereupon Mrs. Leigh-Tompkinson asked me to
take the chair on her right hand. One of the mild men had already
taken up his position on this seat, and to my sorrow he was told to
move, though