Part 13 (1/2)

”And I did so want to give you all a treat before I went! Well, we must do without the nuts and chocolates, and----”

Nicky rose to her feet, swelling with sudden inspiration.

”Daph, what's the matter with running along to this millionaire young man of yours and touching _him_ for a trifle?” she inquired triumphantly.

Daphne hesitated. True, to-morrow she would be a rich man's wife, able to afford unlimited gingerbeer. But the idea of asking a man for money did not appeal to her. Pride of poverty and maidenly reserve make an obstinate mixture. Yet the flushed and eager faces of Nicky and Tony, the polite deprecations of the selfless Stiffy, and the studied indifference of Cilly and Ally, were hard to resist.

”I wonder if he would mind,” she said doubtfully.

”Mind? Oh, no. Why should he?” urged the chorus respectfully.

”Have a dart for it, anyhow,” said Nicky.

Daphne descended from the gate.

”Righto!” she said. ”After all, it's our last afternoon together, and I _should_ like to do you all proud. I'll chance it. The rest of you can start down to the Den and collect sticks, while I run along to the house and ask him. Nicky, you had better come with me to carry down saucepans and things. Come on--I'll race you!”

Three minutes later, Sir John Carr, smoking a meditative cigar upon the lawn, was aware of a sudden scurry and patter in the lane outside.

Directly after this, with a triumphant shriek, the small figure of his future sister-in-law shot through the garden-gate, closely followed by that of his future wife. Mr Dawks, faint yet pursuing, brought up the rear.

The compet.i.tors flung themselves down on the gra.s.s at his feet, panting.

”We have been having a race,” explained Daphne rather gratuitously.

”I won!” gasped Nicky. ”Daph has the longest legs,” she continued, ”but I have the shortest skirts. Now, my children, I must leave you.

Wire in!” she concluded, in a hoa.r.s.e and penetrating whisper to Daphne.

Her short skirts flickered round the corner of the house, and she was gone. Daphne was left facing her _fiance_.

”I say,” she began rather constrainedly--”don't get up; I'm not going to stay--do you think you could lend me a little money? I--I'll pay you back in a day or two,” she added with a disarming smile. ”The fact is, we are going to make toffee down in the Den, and I wanted to get a few extra things, just to give them all a real treat to finish up with, you know. Will you--Jack?”

Juggernaut looked up at her with his slow scrutinising smile.

”What sort of extra things?” he inquired.

”Oh!”--Daphne closed her eyes and began to count on her fingers--”buns, and chocolates, and nuts, and gingerbeer. And I wanted to give Ally a packet of cigarettes. (After all, he's eighteen, and he does love them so, and they are only ten for threepence.) And if you could run to it, I should like to get a few bananas as well,” she concluded with a rush, laying all her cards on the table at once.

Juggernaut leaned back in his chair and looked extremely judicial.

”What will all this cost?” he inquired.

”One and eleven,” said Daphne. ”Jack, you _dear_! We _shall_ have a time!”

Juggernaut had taken a handful of change out of his pocket.