"Oh, don't blame him now," I said. "I don't want to--I only want you to understand. Father always did what he liked. Hannah was dreadful; she spoke as she ought not to speak. It is just as well she should go out and let the open air smooth away some of her grievances. I do not see that it matters to her; he is not her father." "No, it doesn't really matter to her; and yet it does matter in another sense," I said. Charley turned round. "When are they coming back?" was his next remark. "I think on Sunday evening." "Well, this is Thursday. We have got to-day and to-morrow and Saturday and Sunday. We have got four whole days. Let us have some fun. How much of your five shillings have you left. Dumps?" "I don't care," I said. "That's nonsense.--Alex, push her into that chair.--Now, how much money have you got?" "I've got it all," I said. "All of it?" "Yes, every farthing. I had a few pence over which paid for the Twopenny Tube yesterday; I have not broken into the five shillings at all." "We spent one and sixpence each last night, so you owe each of us a bit, because you enjoyed the supper just as much as we did." "Oh yes." "Let us have something good for tea. You can go out and buy it. You can spend your share on that. And I'll bring Von Marlo in, and we'll have a chat, and perhaps we'll go somewhere to-night. Why shouldn't we?" "Oh Charley, where?" "Well, I was thinking of the pit of one of the theatres." This was such a daring, such an unheard-of suggestion that it really took my breath away. "Do you think we might?" "Why not? Von Marlo would love it. We four could go. We three big boys could take care of one dumpy girl, I'm sure. There's a jolly thing on at the Adelphi. I love the Adelphi, for it's all blood and thunder. Don't you like it best of all, Alex?" "Well, you see, I've never been to a theatre in the whole course of my life," said Alex. "Except once to the pantomime," I said. "You remember that?" "Who cares for the pantomime?" said Charley. "Very well, we'll go to the Adelphi," I said. "But I hope it won't be very frightening." "It will scare you out of your seven senses; I know it will. But I tell you what it will do also," continued Charley--"it will make you forget; and if you remember at all, you have but to squeeze the thought up in your heart that you have got three more whole days, or nearly three whole days, before _she_ comes in." "All right," I said; "I'll get something for tea." "And we must be off to school," said Alex. "The Professor's away, and when the cat's away the mice will play." "Oh Alex, you oughtn't to compare father to a cat!"