"I was only hesitating because I felt I _ought_ to! I won’t be polite with you ever again, Ted! You do look so abjectly miserable. I’d love to end up like that!" "That’s all right. I’ll just scoot round to the bank and tell Denis to meet us outside at half-past one. Will you all be ready when I get back?" "I should think we will indeed." When he came back they met him at the gate. "I’m not coming, Ted," said Nell, buttoning her glove. He smiled. "Good-bye, then." "You see, we’ve given Sarah a holiday, and Aunt Kezia would faint if she knew we’d left the house unguarded." "There’s Kate Kearney." "Oh! You cruel boy! Why, Sheila Pat took her into the maids next door. You don’t think we’d leave her all alone, do you? No, I’m going to stay and guard the house. Do hurry, we’re missing precious moments." Sheila Pat led the way into the picture gallery, lured on by a glimpse of a large water-colour painting—just a bit of her own Emerald Isle. How they enjoyed those pictures! "Oh, Teddie, they’re beautiful—beautiful! Can’t you see how he _loves_ every bit he paints? He’s got the spirit of it all—the meaning—so beautifully! Look at that dear, misty bit, over there, with the sun breaking through! Isn’t it glorious? She never cries without a laugh at the end of it, you know! And those mountains there—so mysterious—so _silent_! And the little stream laughing up at them—it’s such an impudent little stream—all laughter and ripples and sun-flecks—no awing _that_—" Her breath caught suddenly and she stopped. Sheila Pat said never a word from the moment she entered the gallery to the moment she left it. She studied the paintings alone, her odd little face absorbed. But when they left the place, and saw Denis just coming towards them, she made a sudden, wild little run at him, and caught hold of his arm. He lifted her up. "Take my hat off for me, asthore!" It was rather a silent luncheon party at first, but Denis soon altered that. Ted insisted on presenting them with a huge box of chocolates at the end of lunch. "Now for two hansoms," he said, when they came out. "There’s the horse for me!" "Um," observed Denis, as the cab drew up, "don’t think much of him. Forelegs a bit groggy. Hi! Here!" he shouted to another driver. "Now that’s a cute little beast if you like!" Ted preferred his own choice. "Race you to No. 35!" Denis exclaimed. "Bet I beat you!" "Done!" Nell, the Atom, and Ted hurried into one hansom; Molly and Denis into the other. "Double fare if you beat that!" Denis shouted. "Same here!" yelled Ted. Off they went. It was a close and very exciting race. Denis’s horse seemed the likeliest to win at first. He led all along Regent Street; then in a block at the Circus Ted’s driver manoeuvred cleverly and got in front. Then for a while they raced neck by neck. Round the corners they rocked.