"What old gentleman?" 

 "Oh, a rather disreputable old gentleman," I answered evasively. 

 "An' do you know my Auntie Lisbeth?" 

 "I think it extremely probable—in fact, I'm sure of it." 

 "Then you might lend me your handkerchief, please; I tied mine to a bush for a flag, you know, an' it blew away." 

 "You'd better come here and I'll give you a rub-down my Imp."  He obeyed, with many profuse expressions of gratitude. 

 "Have you got any Aunties?" he inquired, as I laboured upon his miry person. 

 "No," I answered, shaking my head; "unfortunately mine are all Aunts and that is vastly different." 

 "Oh," said the Imp, regarding me with a puzzled expression; "are they nice—I mean do they ever read to you out of the history book, and help you to sail boats, an' paddle?" 

 "Paddle?" I repeated 

 "Yes. My Auntie Lisbeth does. The other day we got up awfull' early an' went for a walk an' we came to the river, so we took off our shoes an' stockings an' we paddled; it was ever so jolly, you know. An' when Auntie wasn't looking I found a frog an' put it in her stocking." 

 "Highly strategic, my Imp! Well?" 

 "It was awful funny," he said, smiling dreamily.  "When she went to put it on she gave a little high-up scream like Dorothy does when I pinch her a bit—an' then she throwed them both away, 'cause she was afraid there was frogs in both of them. Then she put on her shoes without any stockings at all, so I hid them." 

 "Where?" I cried eagerly. 

 "Reggie!" called a voice some distance away—a voice I recognised with a thrill.  "Reggie!" 

 "Imp, would you like half a crown?" 

 "'Course I would; but you might clean my back, please," and he began rubbing himself feverishly with his cap, after the fashion of a scrubbing brush. 

 Prev. P 7/113 next