"Just see how many hats
I'll get taken off," Miss Aldith would say as they started; and
by the end of the time Meg would say longingly, "How lovely it must
be to know crowds of gentlemen like you do."
Sometimes one or two of them would stop and exchange a word or two,
and then Aldith would formally introduce Meg; often, however, the
latter, who was sharp enough for all her foolishness, would fancy
she detected a patronizing, amused air in these gentlemen's
manners. As, indeed, there often was; they were chiefly men
whom Aldith had met at dances and tennis in her own home; and
who thought that young lady a precocious child who wanted keeping
in the schoolroom a few more years.
One day Aldith came to Misrule brimming over with mysterious
importance. "Come down the garden, Marguerite," she said,
taking no notice whatever of Baby, who had, with much difficulty,
beguiled her eldest sister into telling her the ever delightful
legend of the three little pigs.
"Oh, no, by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin, then I'll huff and
I'll puff and I'll blow your house in," had only been said twice,
and the exciting part was still to come.
Baby looked up with stormy eyes.
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