Part 44 (2/2)

”Poor Daddie's tired,” he said in his ”saddest” tone. ”I think you'd better go and play in the nursery with Tony.”

”No,” said little Fay, ”Tony's not zere; _loo_ mus' play wis me.

Or”--she added as a happy alternative--”loo can tell me sumfin instastin.”

”Surely,” said Hugo, ”it's your bed-time?”

”No,” little Fay answered, and the letters were never formed that could express the finality of that ”no,” ”Med will fesh me when it's time.

I've come to play wis _loo_. Det up, Daddie; loo can't play p'oply lying zere.”

”Oh, yes, I can,” Hugo protested eagerly. ”You bring all your nice toys one by one and show them to me.”

”'At,” she remarked with great scorn, ”would be a velly stupid game. Det up!”

”Why can't Meg play with you?” Hugo asked irritably. ”What's she doing?”

Little Fay stared at her father. She was unaccustomed to be addressed in that tone, and she resented it. Earley and Mr. Burgess were her humble slaves. Captain Middleton did as he was told and became an elephant, a camel, or a polar bear on the shortest notice, moreover he threw himself into the part with real goodwill and enjoyment. The lazy man lying there on the sofa, who showed no flattering pleasure in her society, must be roused to a sense of his shortcomings. She seized the Teddy-bear, swung it round her head and brought it down with a resounding thump on Hugo's chest. ”Det up,” she said more loudly. ”Loo don't seem to know any stolies, so you _mus'_ play wis me.”

Hugo swung his legs off the sofa and sat up to recover his breath, which had been knocked out of him by the Teddy-bear.

”You're a very rude little girl,” he said crossly. ”You'll have to be punished if you do that sort of thing.”

”What sort of sing?”

”What you did just now; it's very naughty indeed.”

”What nelse?”

Little Fay stood with her head on one side like an inquisitive sparrow.

One of the things she had not dropped was the tin trumpet. She raised it to her lips now, and blew a blast that went through Hugo's head like a knife.

He s.n.a.t.c.hed it from her. ”You're not to do that,” he said. ”I can't stand it. Go and pick up those other things and show them to me.”

”Loo can see zem from here.”

”Not what's in the box,” he suggested diplomatically.

”I'm tah'ed too,” she said, suddenly sitting down on the floor. ”You fesh 'em.”

”Will you play with them if I do?”

She shook her head. ”Not if loo're closs, and lude and naughty and ...

stupid.”

Hugo groaned and stalked over to collect the two dolls and the tea-things. He brought them back and put them down on one end of the sofa while he sat down at the other.

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