"What--him? Well if so, he didn't have t' use it, my little _churi_ was enough." "Indeed, you are far braver than I was, Diana--" "Tush! There's few men as won't cut and run from a female if she's got a knife--an' means t' use it." "This was why he named you Penthesilea." "Who's she?" "She was a Queen of the Amazons and fought at Troy--" "What's Amazons?" "Fierce, terrible women who hated men and loved to fight." "Well, I hates a fight, so don't you go calling me Penthe--whatever her name was." "No, Diana, I would have you her very opposite, if possible." "How d'ye mean?" "I'd have you a lady, sweet-mannered, soft-voiced, tender and gentle--" "Like your aunt? But she ain't exactly a pet lamb, Peregrine, nor yet a cooin' dove--now, is she? And as for me I'm just--" "My goddess Diana!" "Was the real goddess a lady?" "Well, I--I suppose so--but I want to ask you--" "No, tell me about her--the goddess Diana." "Well, besides Diana, she was called Cynthia, Delia, Ancia, Orthia and several other names--" "And all of 'em pretty, too!" "And she was passionately fond of hunting." "And didn't like men overmuch, did she?" "Well, it appears not. She changed Actaeon into a stag and had him devoured by her dogs--" "Which wasn't very ladylike, Peregrine--that was coming it a bit too strong, I think! Why did she do it? Poor young man!" "Because he spied upon her--at her toilet." "Was that all? d'ye mean he catches her undoin' her curl papers?" "She was--bathing!" "Oh!" said Diana. "Well, poor young man! She'd got modesty pretty bad, I think, and if all goddesses are like her--" "They were not." "Oh, well, let's talk o' something more human-like--" "Ourselves!" I suggested. "Well, I sold every one o' my baskets and earned fifty-six shillings. How much money did you spend, Peregrine?" "I'm not sure, but about twenty-seven pounds, I fancy." "Pounds?" she cried so suddenly that Diogenes pricked his ears. "For them noo duds--" "Horrible!" I exclaimed. "It is!" said she. "It's wicked robbery--" "I mean your grammar, Diana, and the word 'duds', whatever it may mean, sounds atrocious, especially on your lips--" "Oh, tush! d'ye mean as they charges you all that money for them new--" "Those!" I corrected. "Things you're wearing--" "You forget the despised locket and chain," said I reproachfully, "and I also purchased two silver watches--" "Watches? Two on 'em? What for?" "One for our Tinker and one for Jessamy," I explained. "Foolishness!" she exclaimed. "Indeed, madam?" "It's wicked waste o' money--an' don't call me 'madam'!" "I suppose I may be permitted to spend my money to please myself, girl?" "I s'pose so, boy! Easy come, easy go! You can get more any time ye want, just for the askin', can't you? But you wouldn't spend s' gay an' careless if you had to earn your money, to slave an' sweat for it--not you!" "How do you know?" I demanded in towering anger. "Just because!"