"Pandemolium," she echoed, joyously rolling it over on her tongue with obvious gusto. "Pandemolium." "She kickened and fit with me," Tony cried angrily. "I _must_ box her." "Pandemolium?" little Fay repeated inquiringly. "What nelse?" "Yes," said Jan, trying hard not to laugh; "that's exactly what it was ... disgraceful." "What nelse?" little Fay persisted. She had heard disgraceful before. It lacked novelty. "All sorts of horrid things," said Jan. "Selfish and odious and ill-bred----" "White bled, blown bled, ill-bled," the person under the net chanted. "What nother bled?" "There's well-bred," said Jan severely, "and that's what neither you nor Tony are at the present moment." "There's toas' too," said the voice from under the net, ignoring the personal application. "Sall we have some?" "Certainly not," Jan answered with great sternness. "People who riot and brawl----" "Don't like zose words," the netted one interrupted distastefully (R's always stumped her), "naughty words." "Not so naughty as the people who do it. Has Ayah had her dinner? No? Then poor Ayah must go and have it, and I shall stay here and tell a very soft, whispery story to people who are quiet and good, who lie in their cots and don't quarrel----" "Or blawl" came from the net in a small determined voice. She could not let the new word pass after all. "Exactly ... or brawl," Jan repeated in tones nothing like so firm. "She kickened and fit me, she did," Tony mumbled moodily as he climbed into his cot: "Can't I box her nor nothing?" "Not now," Jan said, soothingly. Ayah salaamed and hurried away. She, at all events, had cause to bless Jan, for now she got her meals with fair regularity and in peace. In a few minutes the room was as quiet as an empty church, save for a low voice that related an interminable story about "Cockie-Lockie and Henny-Penny going to tell the King the lift's fallen," till one, at all events, of the "blawlers" was sound asleep. The voice ceased and Tony's head appeared over the rail of his cot. "Hush!" Jan whispered. "Sister's asleep. Just wait a few minutes till Ayah comes, then I'll take you away with me." Faithful Ayah didn't dawdle over her food. She returned, sat down on the floor beside little Fay's cot and started her endless mending. Jan carried Tony away with her along the passage and into the drawing-room. The verandah was too hot in the early afternoon. "Now what shall we do?" she asked, with a sigh, as she sat down on the big sofa. "_I'd_ like to sleep, but I suppose you won't let me." Tony got off her knee and looked at her gravely. "You can," he said, magnanimously, "because you brought me. I hate bed. I'll build a temple with my bricks and I won't knock it down. Not loud." And like his aunt he did what he said.