Archie smiled contemptuously. 'Breathe fire! Oh, Mother! Do you think it's a silly dragon in a fairy story? Of course it doesn't. How can it breathe fire?' 'Sorry,' said Edith apologetically. 'Go on.' '_But_, the peculiar thing about it, besides that it lives entirely on muffins and mutton and the frightening part, I'm coming to now.' He became emphatic, and spoke slowly. 'The golden quoribus has more claws than any... other... animal... in the whole world!' 'Oh-h-h,' she shuddered. 'Yes,' said Archie solemnly. 'It has large claws coming out of its head.' 'Its head! Good gracious!' 'It has claws here and claws there; claws coming out of the eyes; and claws coming out of the ears; and claws coming out of its shoulders; and claws coming out of the forehead!' Edith shivered with fright and held up her hands in front of her eyes to ward off the picture. 'And claws coming out of the mouth,' said Archie, coming a step nearer to her and raising his voice. Edith jumped. 'And claws coming out of the hands, and claws coming out of the feet!' 'Yes,' said Dilly, wildly and recklessly and jumping up and down, 'and claws on the ceiling, and claws on the floor, and claws all over the world!' With one violent slap she was sent sprawling. Shrieks, sobs and tears filled the quiet nursery. 'I know,' said Archie, when he had been persuaded to apologise, 'of course I know a gentleman oughtn't to hit a lady, not even--I mean, especially not if she's his little sister. But oh, Mother, ought a lady to interrupt a story?' When Edith told Vincy he entirely took Archie's side. Suppose Sargent were painting a beautiful picture, and one of his pupils, snatching the paint-brush from him, insisted on finishing it, and spoiling it--how would he like it? Imagine a poet who had just written a great poem, and been interrupted in reciting it by someone who quickly finished it off all wrong! The author might be forgiven under such circumstances if in his irritation he took a strong line. In Vincy's opinion it served Dilly jolly well right. Young? Of course she was young, but four (he said) was not a day too soon to begin to learn to respect the work of the artist. Edith owned that Archie was not easily exasperated and was as a rule very patient with the child. Bruce took an entirely different view. He was quite gloomy about it and feared that Archie showed every sign of growing up to be an Apache. CHAPTER IV The Mitchells The Mitchells were, as Vincy had said, extremely hospitable; they had a perfect mania for receiving; they practically lived for it, and the big house at Hampstead, with its large garden covered in, and a sort of studio built out, was scarcely ever without guests. When they didn't have some sort of party they invariably went out.