The reason revealed itself with the opening of the door. Pipette entered the room with another girl, at whose appearance Pip, always deferential to the point of obsequiousness in female society, rose up hastily and removed his pipe from his mouth. He was in his shirt-sleeves, and otherwise unprepared for company. His private apartment was in a state of more than usual confusion, for a difference of opinion had arisen between John--the fox-terrier--and a cricket-boot, and the one-sided conflict that ensued, together with the subsequent chastisement of John, had deranged even the primitive scheme of upholstery that prevailed in "the pig-sty," as Pip's apartment was commonly called. "This is Elsie Innes," said Pipette. "My brother." Pip saw before him a girl of about sixteen. She had extremely fair hair, a clear skin, not unbecomingly freckled, and eyes which had a habit of changing from blue to grey in different lights. Girls of sixteen are not always graceful,--like their male prototypes they frequently run to knees and elbows,--but this girl appeared to be free from such defects. She possessed a slim, lithe, young figure, and carried herself with an elasticity and freedom that spoke of open air and early bedtimes. She was in the last stages of what slangy young men call "flapperdom," and her hair was gathered on the nape of her neck with a big black bow. Pip, of course, did not take in all these things at once, but he had time to note especially the neatness of Elsie Innes's feet and the whiteness of her teeth. From which it will be observed that, though his experience in these matters was limited and his judgment unformed, Pip's instincts were sound. "Please sit down," he said, sweeping John and "The Field" from out of the armchair. "Pipette, what on earth did you bring Miss--Miss, er--" "Innes." "--Miss Innes up to this untidy hole for?" "The drawing-room has got two plumbers in it, and they are laying lunch in the dining-room, and Father is in the study, so we came here," said Pipette. Pip expressed his delight rather lamely, and the girls sat down. "You must endure us till lunch," continued Pipette. "I suppose you know that this is the day of the Blanes' garden-party?" "So it is! I had forgotten." Pipette smiled amiably and turned to her friend. "What did I tell you?" she said. "You said," replied Miss Innes, "that he would say he had forgotten all about it." "Pip, dear," continued Pipette, pointing an accusing finger, "don't think you can deceive _us_!" "What do you mean?" inquired Pip uneasily. "You know," said Pipette. "Think." Pip thought, apparently with success. "Oh," he said, growing red in the face,--he had never outgrown that childish weakness,--"you are a little ass, Pipette!" Pipette nodded sagely and smiled at Miss Innes. That young person smiled indulgently upon Pip, and heaved a little sigh which intimated that boys would be boys.