"I hate caramels!" Flossie declared, fearing, with the old clinging to ungraciousness that sulky people have, that her last reply had sounded too much like coming round, a concession which Flossie never made too soon or made too cheap. "Nougât?" said May, putting the caramels on one side. "You _know_ I can’t eat nougât; it _always_ makes my teeth ache!" Flossie cried. "Fondants?" May knew that her sister was passionately fond of that form of sweetmeats. But Flossie would have none of it. "I detest fondants!" she said, with an impressiveness which would have been worthy of the occasion had she said that she detested--well, prussic acid, or some pleasant and deadly preparation of that kind. "Well, it’s a pity I worried Ma for them at all," May remarked with her usual placid air of disgust. "Perhaps, though, you’ll think differently after lunch. Come down, and pray don’t look like that! Pa’s at home." CHAPTER IX AN ASTUTE TELL-PIE But not even the presence of Mr. Stubbs, who was held in great awe by his sons and daughters, and was most emphatically what is known as "master in his own house," was sufficient to restore the redoubtable Flossie to her usual careless, happy-go-lucky, giggling sauciness. She went down and took her seat at table, speaking only when spoken to, but nevertheless contriving to eat an uncommonly good meal. And Tom entertained her with an account of his excursion to the Dials; and although Flossie had spent the last three hours in a passion of jealousy, envy, and unhappiness too great for alleviation, even when it came in the shape of caramels, nougât, and fondants, yet she could not resist the temptation of hearing all that Tom had to say, and of arranging to go round to the stables with him to see his new pets when lunch should be over. And presently she was graciously pleased to accept the caramels and nougât and the fondants. But for some hours she did not forgive Sarah--"Princess Sarah" she unceasingly called her, although solemnly warned by May that "Ma" had already heard of the name, and that if "Pa" heard it the consequences would indeed be dreadful. "Ah, I suppose Miss Tell-pie has been making up to Ma this morning!" suggested Flossie, with a frightful sneer. "Nothing of the kind!" returned May quickly, but in her most condescending tone; "it was quite another person. Sarah has never said a word, not even when she was asked. But, any way, Ma did hear it, and she’s very angry about it. And Ma says if Pa gets to know about it he’ll be fearfully angry, for Sarah’s ma was his favourite sister. And so you’d better just mind what you’re doing, Miss Flossie!" "I do hate that Miss Clark!" Flossie remarked. "Miss Clark!" exclaimed May. "Why, whatever for?" "Nasty, mean, spiteful tell-pie!" Flossie explained. "It _wasn’t_ Miss Clark. I tell you Ma got to hear about it." "Who was it then?"